All You Need Is One
by myeveryday
Summary: The jock and his tutor. Who knew that Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry could lead to one of the most epic love stories of all time?
1. show your world to me

**I'm really excited for this story! **_**One Tree Hill**_** is one of my favorite shows of all time, and I absolutely love that I can tie in Finchel with it. So please read and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This chapter title comes from the song "Crash into Me" by the Dave Matthews Band, and the story title comes from a quote in the third season of **_**One Tree Hill**_**.**

* * *

Rachel Berry finished wiping the table down and looked up just as the door to the café opened. Noah Puckerman appeared, holding his ever-present football. Rachel took the rag she was holding and balled it up in her hands before launching it at her friend.

Surprised, Puck barely managed to duck it. Despite Rachel's complete lack of athletic ability, she had surprisingly good aim. "Rachel, what the hell?" he asked with a laugh.

Rachel planted her hands on her hips and gave him a pointed look. "I believe that you were supposed to help me with that rush from the school play tonight. But I'm sure you were out at the park shooting baskets with your football or whatever."

Puck groaned and sat down at the table Rachel had just cleaned. "Berry, how many times do I have to tell you that we score touchdowns, not baskets? Baskets are for basketball!"

"Oh, whatever," Rachel said, adding punctuation with an eye roll. "My point is, you were supposed to be here. And yes, I totally did tell your mother."

"Rachel!" Puck jumped up from the table and turned to find his mother standing behind the counter, watching him through narrowed eyes. Puck gave her an unapologetic look and waved. "Hi, Mom."

Anne Puckerman smiled and shook her head. "Go find an apron and help Rachel clean up. Rachel, you can pick the music for tonight."

"No Broadway show tunes, please," Puck pleaded. "You got to pick three days ago."

"And you picked some awful sort of heavy metal music two days ago!" Rachel retorted. She made her way over to the jukebox that was situated in the corner of the café. She thought about selecting a song from her favorite Broadway show just to piss Puck off, but she found another song that was just too good to pass up.

Puck grinned when the opening notes of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" began. He stood and put an apron on to help clean up after the dinner rush, and Rachel began to sing as she cleaned. It was a nightly sort of thing; the regular patrons in the café always got some sort of performance

The song came to an end and the people in the restaurant cheered. Rachel took several bows and returned to the counter at the front of the café, where Puck had taken a seat and was munching on a plate of fries. Naturally, he had only cleaned a few tables before he had considered himself finished and had decided to take a break.

"Did you hear about what happened with the football team?" Rachel asked.

Puck snorted. "Yeah, I heard about it. The whole school is talking about it." Puck tried his best to look as if he could care less, but Rachel knew better. He had been talking about the football team for years.

Rachel shook her head. "I can't believe that Finn Hudson got away with stealing a school bus after they won that game while the majority of the team was suspended. That hardly seems fair."

"What do you expect, Rachel?" Puck asked. His brow furrowed in long pent-up anger. "His dad probably paid for him to still be on the football team."

A thoughtful look came onto Rachel's face. "I mean, he is why they won the game last week, so I guess he's pretty good…" Seeing the look on Puck's face, Rachel quickly backtracked. "But it's still wrong. Still completely wrong."

"Beiste is pulling the JV team up so that they can still play. They were supposed to go to the championship, you know," Puck said more to himself than anyone else. He knew that Rachel knew absolutely nothing about sports, let alone football.

Rachel gave her best friend a knowing look. "You sound like you might want to try out."

Puck's face darkened and he stabbed one of his fries violently on the plate. "Don't."

Rachel held her hands up, well aware that it was a touchy subject. She supposed that's the way it would be when Puck shared a father with the most popular guy in school and said father ignored Puck since the time he was born. Basically, Finn Hudson and his father had owned the football team. Puck may have talked about the football team, but that didn't mean he had considered trying out.

"You should give Coach Beiste the benefit of the doubt." Rachel grabbed the empty cup on Puck's table and began to back away just in case he got mad at her prodding again. "I don't think she would shut you out just because Christopher Hudson doesn't want you playing football with his son." Rachel turned to refill Puck's cup, leaving him to think about what she had suggested.

A few more customers came in then, and Rachel made sure that they were seated and had drinks at their tables before she went back towards her best friend. Maybe Puck had given some consideration about the football team. When she saw the dreamy look on his face, however, Rachel knew that she had lost him. There was only one thing that made Puck look like that—or one person, really.

"Please don't," Rachel said. She set Puck's refill down in front of him and took the seat across from him at the small table. "This is my break, Puckerman. I'm in no mood to hear about Quinn Fabray."

Puck acted as if he hadn't heard Rachel's snippy comment. "I saw her today."

Rachel sighed and took out her phone. There was no getting through to Puck when he got like this, so she might as well check up with what was going on in the Broadway world. "Oh really? And what was it like?"

Puck narrowed his eyes at Rachel in a quick glare before he continued. "I was walking back here from the River Park and I wasn't paying attention—"

Anne came back from behind the counter and took a seat at the table her son and his best friend were sitting at. Giving him a mildly scolding look mixed with amusement, she said, "Of course you weren't." Turning towards Rachel, she added, "He probably had his headphones in."

Puck went on, pretending as though he hadn't heard his mother say that. "And she was driving down the street I was crossing. I don't think she was paying attention, either."

Rachel exchanged a look with Anne, and both women smiled. "Oh, it sounds like you two have so much in common."

Puck stopped his story to scowl darkly at his Rachel and his mother. "Are you done yet?" he demanded. With a smile on her face, Anne could only shake her head and Rachel covered her mouth to try and stifle her giggle. "Anyway, she almost hit me with her car. We had a moment."

Rachel gaped at Puck. "Noah! Quinn Fabray almost hit you with her car and you consider that a moment?"

Anne could only take Puck's comment in stride. He had been talking about Quinn Fabray ever since elementary school, so at least she was used to it at this point. "Let it go, Rachel. You know that he'll be talking about this for at least another week."

Rachel laughed at the indignant look on Puck's face and stood up. She snatched the nearly finished plate of French fries from Puck and pointed at the discarded apron by the table next to him. "I have one hour left. Are you going to help me finish, or what?"

Puck glanced towards his mother, wondering if there was a way he could possibly get out of this. She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow in a look that clearly didn't leave room for argument. With a long suffering sigh, Puck stood and began to help Rachel serve the lingering customers in the café.

* * *

Burt Hummel pointed towards the group of boys playing a football game at the River Park. Puck was running down the field and caught an impressive throw made by Mike Chang. The other boys they were playing with cheered as Puck did a lap of victory around the field.

"Have you ever seen a kid have so much fun playing the game?" Burt asked Shannon Beiste. She was sitting the car next to him, her arms crossed across her chest. She watched the boys playing the football game with an unreadable look on her face. Burt calmly watched her in return, confident that he had made a good case for the boy he considered his nephew.

Finally, Beiste spoke, but it wasn't what Burt had been expecting her to say. "What does your cousin think about this?"

At the mention of Christopher Hudson, Burt slowly shook his head. "Of course I haven't said anything to Chris. He barely acknowledges that Puck even exists. Chris has made it clear that he isn't very concerned with what Puck does."

"But he will be when he finds out that you're trying to get Puck on the football team with his son."

Burt shrugged his shoulders, unconcerned with how his cousin would react. "It's not like Puck plays quarterback. Finn's spot on the team will be safe, and you'll have a better chance of winning with a player like Puck."

Beiste sighed and turned to watch Puck once again. The boy did have a knack for throwing the ball impressive distances. He may not have had any real training, but it was clear that he loved the game and knew what he was doing. Beiste had to acknowledge that she needed more players like that on her team—especially since the majority of them had managed to get themselves suspended.

"Fine," she finally relented. "I'll give the boy a chance. Everyone deserves one, anyway."

* * *

Rachel pushed past the students crowding the hallway, grumbling under her breath the entire time. Why couldn't people move quickly? She had classes to get to and a best friend to yell at. People needed to get out of her way.

Finally, she spotted Puck by his locker. He happened to glance up and see Rachel, and then he quickly looked back down and started shoving his books into his backpack as fast as he could. Rachel rolled her eyes and stalked toward him. Reaching Puck, she poked him in the shoulder—hard.

"Ow! What the fuck, Berry?" Puck demanded. "That hurt!"

"Good!" Rachel retorted. She planted her hands on her hips and stared Puck down. "So what's this I hear about you joining the football team?"

Puck shrugged his shoulders and began to search through his locker just to avoid looking at Rachel. Undeterred, Rachel leaned against the wall of lockers in an effort to try and look Puck in the face.

"Noah, did you join the football team?" Rachel asked again.

Finally, Puck stopped and shut the locker. He inhaled deeply before he looked at her. "Yes," he admitted. "Coach Beiste talked to me this morning and said I could join. It's a little late in the season, so I'll have a lot of training to catch up on, but… yeah. I joined the team."

Rachel stared long and hard at her friend. "Just be careful, Noah," she said finally. "I'm glad you finally decided to join the team, but you know that things might not be easy for a little while." The whole school had been buzzing with the rumor that Beiste had asked Finn Hudson's half-brother to join the varsity football team. The scandal of Chris Hudson, Anne Puckerman, and Carole Hudson was one that people still talked about, even though it had happened seventeen years ago. This was only going to add more fuel to the fire.

Puck looked around the hallway. People were looking at him and whispering—it hadn't taken long for the news to spread at all. He really shouldn't have been very surprised by it, honestly. Lima was a small town, and they took pride in their football team.

And then like something out of a movie, Finn Hudson came down the hallway. He was wearing his letterman jacket and had his long arm wrapped around Quinn Fabray. Quinn looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but in that hallway, but Finn was soaking up the attention that people were giving him. The whispers actually grew louder as he walked down the hallway.

Rachel braced herself for what was about to happen. Someone was going to say something, and then a fight was probably going to break out. Puck had a temper and Finn had one to match. Honestly, it was a miracle that one hadn't happened before now.

Rachel found herself actually holding her breath as Finn came nearer. Puck's face closed off and he tried not to watch, but it appeared that it didn't even matter. Finn passed by him without sparing him so much as a glance. It was Quinn, however, that gave him an apologetic look.

Rachel's mouth gaped open at the complete brush off. It was probably worse than confronting Puck. Instead, Finn had just acted as if Puck didn't even exist; it was like he didn't even matter.

As Finn moved past her, his arm brushed against Rachel's. Her eyes shot up to him, and Finn turned and caught her gaze. Instead of being haughty, his amber-eyed gaze was curious.

Rachel tried not to think about the warm feeling that spread through her.

* * *

Sometimes, Puck just liked to stand at the River Park and think. It was probably one of his favorite places in the entire world. The field was wide and open, and the river that ran next to the park was calm and peaceful.

When he caught sight of Finn Hudson heading his way, however, he knew that his peaceful place just might be ruined.

"What the hell do you want?" Puck demanded as soon as Finn was near enough. There was no use in putting off the inevitable. Some confrontation was bound to happen between the two of them eventually. He might as well get it over with sooner rather than later.

Finn didn't waste any time beating around the bush, either. "I want you off my football team."

"Your football team."

"My football team," Finn repeated. "Because let's face it: that team would be nothing without me. And I can say for sure that I don't want you on it."

Puck shrugged his shoulders. "Well tough shit, Hudson. Because I'm not going to leave _your_ team." Bitterness entered his voice. "Why don't you call your Daddy and see what he can do? I'm sure he has something to say about this."

Finn ignored the jab about his father. Honestly, he was more excited that Puck had told him he wasn't going to just leave the team. That was going to give him the opportunity to have a little bit of fun.

"I have a proposition for you, then," Finn offered.

"Well, you're not going to leave until I hear it. So tell me what you want and then get the fuck out."

Finn smirked, not fazed at all by Puck's hostility. "I want a football game against you. You pick a team, I'll pick a team. We play for a spot on Lima's team."

Puck was extremely tempted to say yes right away. He was competitive by nature, but he also knew that he shouldn't have to go through something like this just for a spot on a high school football team. Beiste had assured him that he deserved a chance to play, and that was all he needed to know.

Finn could see that Puck was probably about to turn him down. So he proposed the one thing that he knew Puck wouldn't be able to refuse: "Quinn will be there, you know."

Puck didn't think he had even been surprised by Finn before, but there was a first time for everything. His head jutted back, and he could gape at him. "What?"

"I'm not stupid, Puckerman. I see the way you look at my girlfriend. You get the spot on the team, and it'll give you chance to be closer to her."

"But she's your girlfriend. Does she know that you're playing her like this?" Puck couldn't believe that Finn was putting his girlfriend up as part of a deal just so he didn't play on the team. It was one of the most ridiculous things he had ever heard, really.

Finn waved his hand dismissively, unconcerned. "Quinn knows how it is." And that was all he said on that matter.

Puck shook his head. If Finn wasn't going to leave, Puck was. Whatever was going on, it wasn't worth the games that Finn was trying to play. "I don't have time for this," Puck declared before he left the park entirely.

* * *

"I don't think I'm going to play on the team."

"What?" Burt pulled away from the car he was working on and stared at Puck with wide eyes. "Why?"

Puck spun the wrench in his hands and didn't look at the man he considered to be an uncle—a father figure, actually. He hated the thought of disappointing Burt, but he wasn't about to put up with Finn Hudson's shit. He was sure that Christopher Hudson's shit wouldn't be far behind, either.

"I just don't want to," Puck said after a long moment had passed.

Burt reached forward and plucked the wrench from Puck's hands. "That's bullshit," he stated bluntly. "What's going on?" His eyes narrowing, Burt continued, "What did Finn say to you?"

Puck sighed. He should have known that Burt was going to figure out what was going on. "Nothing that I didn't expect. But I don't want to have to prove that I should be on the team. I shouldn't have to."

"You deserve to be on the team," Burt said fiercely. "No one should question that." He hated that Puck had been dealt such a shitty hand in regards to his father. It wasn't fair. "And you're right. You shouldn't have to prove that. But you also shouldn't let Finn chase you away."

Puck ran a hand through his Mohawk. "Why is he such a dick?"

Burt was pretty much an uncle to Finn, as well. As such, he saw more of Finn than Puck ever did; meaning that he saw a side of the young man that not a lot of people got to see.

"Well, you know how his father is," Burt said by way of explanation. "Imagine being raised by someone like that."

Puck's jaw tightened and he didn't say anything. He resented not growing up with someone he could call Dad, but he didn't want to think that Finn had it any worse than he did because Chris Hudson was a jerk. It was a hard situation to wrap his mind around, and it was something that Puck didn't really want to think about.

"Come on, Puck," Burt encouraged. "Don't let his childish behavior change something that you want to do. This football team can be really good for you."

"Burt is right. It could be good for you. Then again…"

Puck and Burt looked up to find Christopher Hudson walking into Burt's auto shop. He looked extremely out of place in his expensive suit and slicked back hair. Then again, Chris had always been out of place in their lives.

"I'm assuming that you had something to do with this, Burt," Chris said. "I doubt that you would have joined the team on your own, would you Puck?"

Puck said nothing, but his eyes narrowed in a ferocious glare. Chris only smirked at him in return, his upper lip curling maliciously. Burt shook his head. Chris had only been there for two minutes and he was already sick and tired of his crap.

"Stop it, Chris," Burt ordered.

Chris only spared a glance at his older cousin before he turned back towards his estranged son. "Don't join the team, Puck. It's not your place." He shrugged as if it was just a known fact. "You're not good enough for it."

The silence that filled the auto shop was dangerous and tense. Of course, Chris used it as the perfect time to exit. Just before he left the auto shop, he turned around and said over his shoulder, "Say hi to your mother for me."

The only thing Puck could do was stare at the door. The fire in his eyes was fierce and dark, and it made Burt step forward in effort to stop what was a sure explosion. Puck was faster than Burt, however. He jumped up and immediately headed towards the door that Chris had just exited from.

"Puck, think about this!" Burt called after him. "Don't do anything stupid!"

Puck only slowed down enough to say, "I'm not going after Chris. Even though he deserves it." After that, Puck didn't wait to hear what Burt had to say. He had one thing on his mind, and he was determined to find it.

Twenty minutes later, he found Finn Hudson lifting weights at the gym in the high school. Finn noticed Puck immediately and dropped the weight he had been doing arm curls with. A knowing look formed on his face—he knew exactly why Puck was there.

Puck didn't want to spend any more time around Finn than he had to. So he simply said, "Get a team together. We'll play at the River Park tomorrow night."

Finn just nodded his head and picked up his weight again. His mind was already building a team and what plays he was going to do; this was certainly going to be a game to remember.

Puck couldn't resist adding one more thing before he left. "By the way, your father is an asshole."

The look on Finn's face was unreadable. "I know."

* * *

Finn spun the football in his hands and stared blankly at the television in front of him. Something was playing on the screen, but he wasn't paying attention. He was too busy trying to figure out what he was going to do during this football game.

He was confident in his abilities—he was nationally ranked as a quarterback, after all. There was no way that he wouldn't be able to win this game. The way Finn saw it, it wasn't overconfidence. It was the truth. He had been training to win games since he could hold a football, practically.

The front door of the large house opened and closed; someone was home. Finn knew that it probably wasn't his mother, which meant that his peaceful, quiet night was over.

Just as Finn suspected, it was Chris Hudson that came into the living room. He dropped two takeout bags onto the coffee table and took a seat in the large arm chair opposite the couch.

"Brought dinner," Chris said by way of greeting.

Finn nodded his head in response and set the football aside. He reached for the bag on the table and opened it to find some pasta and meatballs in a container. This was normally the kind of thing he ate before a big practice or game. He looked up at his father, trying to figure out what Chris was implying.

Chris nodded his head towards the bag. "I heard you had a big game tomorrow night. I thought I could get you loaded on the energy that you need."

Finn sighed and shut the takeout container. Suddenly, he wasn't very hungry anymore. "Dad."

"You have to be sure that you'll be prepared for such a big game," Chris said with his hands held up defensively. "After all, your spot on the team is at stake. Isn't it, Finn?"

"Dad," Finn repeated. He hadn't planned on Chris finding out about the game or his deal with Puck at all. This wasn't something that he wanted to explain. Finn wasn't even sure he could explain it to himself, let alone anyone else. "It's just a dumb bet, that's all."

Chris's face changed from his usual charming business man smile to hard and calculating. "It better be just a dumb bet," he snapped. "Your future is at stake here, Finn. If you give it up because of some stupid deal you made with a stupid kid…" He trailed off and shook his head. "Don't fuck this up."

Finn picked up his football again and held it still in his hands. "I won't," he said quietly. He was aware of how much was riding on this game. But he wished this father realized just how much of his actions had played into what was happening right now.

That charming smile was back on Chris's face. "Excellent," he said. He reached for his own bag of takeout food and popped the top on the container open once he had dug it out. Naturally, he didn't comment on Finn's lack of interest in his food. Instead he said, "Maybe you should go on a run. You'll need to make sure that you're ready for the game."

There was no use in arguing, because Finn knew that he was going to lose. So he snatched up his bag of food and made sure to put it in the fridge so he could have it later. Actually, a run sounded like a pretty good idea. But Finn wasn't looking to train—no, this was going to be more of a stress reliever. It was definitely needed.

* * *

Rachel shifted uneasily as she watched Puck prepare for the game with his team. She had no doubt that he had picked good players. Mike Chang, Matt Rutherford, and Dave Karofsky were just as good as Puck. But still, she couldn't help but think that this was a ridiculously stupid idea.

"What did your mother say about this?" Rachel asked Puck. She had been off work yesterday, so she hadn't had a chance to see how Anne was doing. But she could imagine that Puck's mother wasn't very thrilled with what was going on. When Puck had revealed that he was going to join the football team, Anne had been uncharacteristically silent. That was probably worse than any outburst she could have had, really. And Puck knew that, too.

Just as Rachel suspected, Puck said, "She didn't really say anything." When Rachel opened her mouth, Puck held his hands up. His face was tired, as he had spent a large portion of the night preparing for this game. "Please don't, Rachel. I know that there's a lot riding on this game, alright?"

Rachel let out slow breath to stop herself from saying anything else. Puck hardly needed any more pressure than what he was putting on himself. And no matter what else happened, all of his friends needed to support him. Football was a big deal in this town, and Puck was talented. He deserved this chance just as much as anyone else.

This made the stupid bet even worse. The fact that Finn was putting Puck through this was absolutely abhorrent, and Rachel very nearly despised Finn for it. Puck was basically her big brother, and he was always making sure that no one picked on her. Rachel spent a lot of time making sure that people weren't whispering about Puck either, as they had a tendency to do. It had been rough for him growing up, but people who didn't know the whole story wouldn't know it. Anne tried her best—and did a wonderful job with it—to make sure that Puck had a stable and great childhood.

Naturally, a crowd had gathered at the River Park. Everyone wanted to see the throw down between Noah Puckerman and Finn Hudson. They had been waiting for this for years, and it was sure to be good.

Cheers went up through the audience that gathered when Finn arrived with his team and their little entourage of girlfriends. The people that had gathered for Puck chanted his name in turn. Their enthusiasm was so great that people could hear them clearly over the yells of Finn's supporters. As usual, Finn ate it up. Rachel shook her head and rolled her eyes in disdain. She could feel Finn's eyes on her as she did, but Rachel did her best to ignore him.

The next hour was ridiculously intense. The game was violent and hard. Dirt was kicked up and it covered every single player, in addition to their bumps and bruises. Each team was also playing a little dirty. It started with Finn's team, when Finn elbowed Puck in the face. Dave retaliated by tripping Ryder Lynn. They tried to put a stop to it after that, and it wasn't long before the game was tied.

It was the last few minutes, and Puck's team was using their last time out. Rachel was _this close_ to having a complete freak out. She looked across the field towards Quinn Fabray, and was surprised to see her watching Puck instead of Finn. Rachel didn't even have time to contemplate what that could mean because she was so focused on the game.

"Come on, Noah!" Rachel yelled as they took their places on the field once again. "Score that basket!"

Puck rolled his eyes and shook his head at Rachel and her complete lack of football knowledge, but it was Finn that caught her attention. His eyes connected with hers and his lips lifted in an utterly adorable half smile. Rachel was surprised when her heart thudded hard in her chest, and she forced herself to look away from him. Needless to say, she hadn't expected that reaction at all.

So Rachel forced herself to focus on Mike launching the ball across the field. The clock ticked down to the last couple of seconds, and Puck crossed the goal line just as the football landed in his hands.

There was a moment of complete and utter silence as the crowd stared in shock. And then everyone who was there to support Puck and his team screamed, running across the field to meet him. Matt, and Dave lifted Puck onto their shoulders, singing "We Are the Champions" as loud as they could. Rachel sprinted across the field to join them, and Mike lifted her onto his shoulders so that she was at the same level as Puck. She slapped hands with him in a high five and joined in with their singing, giggling and yelling excitedly the entire time.

In the midst of their celebration, Rachel noticed Finn walking slowly back towards his car. His hands were tucked into his pockets and his head hung low. She tried not to think too much about that, though.

* * *

Early that morning, before the sun had even risen, Puck had found himself unable to sleep. So as he always did when he got like this, he took a walk through Lima until he reached the River Park. It was his place to think and just be.

Just as the last time he was on at the park, however, he wasn't alone. There was Finn, and he was standing directly in the middle of the field. His hands were buried deep in his pockets and his face was tilted up towards the sky.

Puck approached Finn from behind. He didn't bother to alert him to his presence; instead, he simply said, "You're staying on the team."

Puck watched Finn's shoulders rise and fall in a heavy sigh. "Any reason why you decided to keep me on the team?"

Even though Finn couldn't see him, Puck shrugged his shoulders. He had thought a lot about it on the walk over to the River Park, and there was really only one reason for it. Crossing his arms over his chest, he wondered if this was going to make him a bad person. But at that point, he didn't really care very much about it.

"Because it's the one thing that you don't want to do," Puck revealed. Somehow, through all of the crap they had gone through over the past two days, Puck had realized that Finn didn't really enjoy the game anymore. He was playing because of pressure. And if there was one thing that Puck could do, it was make sure that Finn stayed on the team.

Finn finally turned around to face Puck. "I'm not going to make this easy for you. You know that, right?"

Puck tilted his head with an indifferent look on his face. "I figured. But it's nothing that I can't handle."

Without waiting for Finn's response, Puck left the park. It didn't matter that some weird type of brotherly understanding had just passed between them. Things were going to get messy, and it was probably going to happen fast.

* * *

Puck completely blew his first football game.

It was already well known that Rachel knew next to nothing about sports, let alone football. But even she knew that Puck shouldn't have dropped the ball as many times as he did. It got so bad that Beiste had to bench him. It didn't help that Chris was constantly taunting Puck from the stands. Even more than that, Anne had claimed that she was too busy at the café and didn't go to the game. It was obviously bothering Puck that his mother wasn't there.

Rachel was sitting next to Burt, who had his face buried in his hands. Mike, Matt, and Dave were sitting with them as well, and they were all wearing matching looks of horror. This was so not how any of them expected this game to go.

"Maybe we should go down there," Matt suggested. "You know, just to see how he's doing."

Mike shook his head but stood to head down to the fence that blocked the game-goers from the field. Just as they neared the fence, Finn jogged by Puck's place on the bench. They couldn't see his expression behind the grill on his helmet, but they could hear what he said to Puck.

Finn held his arms out. "You wanted my world, you got it."

An indignant noise of anger bubbled from Rachel's throat and she scrambled forward, determined to climb over the fence and do something to Finn. Frankly, she wanted to ram his helmet up his ass for being such a jerk, but she didn't get a chance to do that. Mike caught her around the waist and hauled her back from the fence with a chuckle.

"Easy there, tiger. Let's not doing anything irrational."

"Did you hear him?" Rachel demanded. She was still determined to kick Finn's ass, but she did stop attempting to charge the field. "Did you hear what that jerk said?"

Burt patted Rachel's back. "Don't give them the satisfaction," he advised before he approached the fence. Leaning over it, he called for Puck's attention. "How are you feeling, Puck?"

Puck stood up and yanked his helmet it off. Dropping it to the ground, he barely spared a glance at his friends before he muttered darkly, "I'm quitting the team."

With that declaration, Puck stomped off of the field.

* * *

Rachel stalked into the café with a fierce look of determination on her face. "What is wrong with you, Noah Puckerman?" she demanded.

Puck sighed and didn't say anything. He just continued to help his mother plate several different kinds of muffins. Anne, however, looked between her son and his best friend, her brow furrowing in concern.

"What's going on, Rachel?" Anne asked. "What happened?"

Planting her hands on her hips, Rachel leveled a glare at Puck. "He got into a fight with Finn in class today. And it was over something completely stupid."

Puck shook his head and stepped back from the counter. "I don't need to hear this right now. I'm going out for a run."

Anne thrust a hand out to stop her son. "No you're not, Noah Puckerman. You're going to stand right here and tell me why you got into a fight at school today. I raised you better than that. You know better than to do something like that."

Puck dropped his head. He hated disappointing his mother, and he feared that that was all he had been doing since joining the football team. "I know," he said quietly. Things had been so incredibly weird for him lately. Puck had shared yet another run in with Quinn Fabray; he believed that she was lonely and needed someone to talk to, and Puck wanted to be the person that she confided in. As far as he could see, that was the only good thing he had going for him right now.

Anne took a deep breath and put both of her hands on her son's shoulders, forcing him to look at her. "What's going on, Puck? What are you so afraid of?"

Closing his eyes, Puck admitted something that had been bothering him since the very first time he understood what had happened between his parents. "I don't want Chris to have that part of me. I love football, but if it allows Chris to have some kind of say in my life… I don't want it."

Tears filled Anne's eyes. She had been afraid to see Puck play because she knew that Chris was going to be there, and she didn't know if she could face him. Things had been left so unsettled between them that she was unwilling to face all of those painful emotions once again. But her avoidance had affected her son, and she couldn't allow that to happen.

"No matter what, Chris doesn't have any effect on your life. He hasn't before, and he certainly doesn't now. He doesn't own you, Puck. Don't ever think any differently." She took a deep breath and nodded her head firmly. "Sometimes you need a little help facing your fears. I'll be there for your next game."

A long moment of silence stretched between them. Seeing that Puck still looked a little unsure, Rachel added, "It's just a game, Puck. Football isn't going to change you. Don't stop playing."

Finally, Puck nodded his head and smiled. Whatever happened over the next week before the upcoming game, both Rachel and Anne knew that Puck was going to be on that field.

* * *

Things changed after that. Puck started playing just as he had before and proved that he really did have the talent to be on the team. Chris started pressing even harder for Finn to be better and always berated him for allowing Puck to have a chance to shine. In turn, Finn became stress and tense, often letting it out by complaining to Quinn, who couldn't understand why Finn insisted on tormenting Puck so much. Quinn's best friend Santana Lopez didn't help matters much, but she did manage to surprise Puck when she showed up half-naked in the backseat of his car.

Puck's hazing also grew more intense over the passing weeks. They were constantly stealing his uniform, ignoring him in practice, and destroying the belongings in his locker. But Puck pressed on and refused to let it deter him.

Rachel wasn't used to her life being turned upside down like this. People were always whispering about Puck and looking at him. And when he started winning games, they would come up to him and congratulate him. In turn, Rachel was getting noticed a bit more as well. It was odd, because she was just used to being the resident music genius (all around genius, if you asked her) of Lima High School.

It was the Monday before another game, and Rachel was gathering up her sheets of music after practicing in the choir room. She arranged them into a neat pile and slid them into her backpack. She had half an hour to get to the café before work started, and she planned on stopping by the football field to check up on Puck before he started practice. She knew the guys on the team were still giving him a hard time, and she just wanted to make sure that he would be okay.

Before she could leave the choir room, however, Finn Hudson appeared. He was wearing his letterman jacket and a pair of jeans, his thick hair messy atop his head. Rachel tried not to notice it, but _damn_. He really was very attractive. It was extremely unfair.

Rachel considered just leaving the room without seeing what he wanted. But she just couldn't find it within herself to be that mean—killing them with kindness was the best way to handle this, after all.

But that didn't mean she was going to make it easy. Instead of greeting Finn, Rachel just stared at him until he started speaking. She wasn't going to be _that_ nice to him.

Finn gave her an adorable half smile. Damn it, but he was too charming for his own good. "You're Rachel Berry, right?"

Rachel nodded her head slowly. "Yes…" she began, unsure of where he was going with that particular question.

Finn stepped closer to her. "And you're really good at music."

Rachel's brow furrowed. She knew this, and it was nice to hear, but still. "What's your point?"

"Well, I'm taking this beginner's class and I'm not doing so well. So I went to the tutoring center and they told me that you were the best."

"I am the best," Rachel stated. She couldn't believe that this was happening right now. Above all else, she couldn't fathom that Finn Hudson was standing in front of her, asking for help. "But I can't tutor you."

Finn actually looked kind of hurt by Rachel's blunt declaration. His shoulders dropped down slightly, and he suddenly looked very different from the cocky boy that had walked into the choir room. "Why not?"

Rachel gave him a look as if he was out of his mind. "You know that Noah is my best friend, right? If you weren't such a big jerk to him, I might consider it. But I refuse to betray him like that." Rachel did always have a flair for the dramatics, but she didn't really care that she was over exaggerating just a bit.

Finn smirked, and he was back to his old self once again. "I've been called a lot worse things than a jerk."

Rachel rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, effectively closing herself off to Finn. "You don't get it, do you? I'm not tutoring you."

Finn shrugged his shoulders and turned to leave the choir room. Before he stepped out, however, he waited until Rachel looked at him again. His amber eyes bored into hers, his expression unreadable.

"I thought that tutors were supposed to help people no matter what."

Rachel's mouth dropped open. How could Finn Hudson possibly appeal to her sense of right and wrong when he acted like such a jerk? Still, Finn's parting words rang in her ears as she headed towards the football field. She tried to ignore it, because she was sure that Finn was just trying to start trouble. But it had never been in Rachel to turn someone away when they needed help.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before Rachel reached the field, so she was able to push those thoughts and feelings of guilt away. Puck was just coming out of the locker room, so she was able to catch his attention quickly.

Puck gave her a mildly exasperated look, although Rachel could see some of the gratitude there. "I'm a big boy, Rachel," he said. "I don't need you to check up on me."

"It doesn't hurt," Rachel told him seriously. Puck had wanted to play football for the longest time, and the last thing he needed was to have the opportunity ruined by rude high school boys.

Puck understood what Rachel was doing, even if he pretended like he didn't appreciate it. "Thanks, Berry," he said sincerely. He nudged her against the shoulder and Rachel smiled in return. She may not have been completely convinced, but she would settle for now.

It was then that she noticed Finn approaching them from across the field. Puck noticed as well, and he tensed immediately. Rachel sighed internally and combed her fingers through her hair. Why was Finn trying to start something? What did he have to gain from doing this?

"Puckerman, Rachel," Finn greeted with a smirk.

Puck looked between Finn and Rachel, his eyes narrowing. "Hudson," he returned stiffly.

"Puck, I just wanted to let you know that we're having a party at my beach house Friday night after the game. You're invited." Finn looked towards Rachel, his eyes glinting mischievously. "You both are."

Rachel opened her mouth to turn Finn's invitation down, but Puck interrupted her. "We'll go," he accepted.

Finn smiled, his eyes remaining on Rachel the entire time. She shifted somewhat uneasily under his gaze, but tried not to let it show on her face. He nodded his head and jogged back over to his teammates, leaving Puck and Rachel standing on the sidelines.

As soon as Finn was gone, Rachel swatted at Puck's shoulder. "Noah!" she screeched. "Why did you say yes?"

Puck scowled and rubbed at the spot Rachel had hit him. "I'm not going to let Hudson try and intimidate me," he declared. "Speaking of Hudson, how did he know who you were, anyway?"

Rachel's cheeks turned bright pink as she tried to scramble for an answer to Puck's query. She shrugged her shoulders in a nonchalant manner, trying her best to play it off. She in no way wanted Puck to know that Finn had asked her to tutor him.

"We've been in school together since first grade," Rachel said. "It's not really a surprise that he knows my name." Puck didn't look particularly convinced, so Rachel just went with the tactic of diversion. "I think Santana Lopez is checking you out."

It was true. Santana was eyeing Puck up as if she wanted to eat him. She and the rest of the cheerleaders were getting ready for their practice. When she noticed that Puck was watching her, Santana bent over to stretch, allowing her extremely tiny shorts to ride up. Puck's lips stretched into a smirk and Rachel laughed and shook her head. Ever since Santana had showed up half-naked in the back of Puck's car, he had developed some kind of crush on her. Boys, honestly.

"It looks like I'll be having fun this Friday," Puck leered.

Rachel poked his shoulder hard with her index finger. "Don't be a pig," she scolded immediately. "And if you leave me alone during this party, you will see me throw a fit unlike anything you have ever experienced before. Now get to practice."

Puck saluted her, as they used to do when they were children. "Yes ma'am."

Rachel was glad that Puck was in a good mood, at least. Her duty as best friend done, Rachel turned to leave the football field and go to work. But as she left, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her—that someone being Finn Hudson.

* * *

Wednesday night rolled around. After practice on Monday, Puck and Rachel had decided that they were going to see a movie. Ever since Puck had started with football practices, they had had less and less time to hang out.

But it really didn't seem like they were going to get that time to hang out at all. It was only five minutes before the movie began, and Puck was supposed to meet Rachel at the theater over twenty minutes ago. Rachel felt like a real idiot standing outside of the movie theater by herself.

It turned out that there was a reason for Puck's delay, however. Ten minutes later, Rachel got a call from Anne. She hurried to the café, where she found Puck sitting in a chair, absolutely miserable and covered in mud.

Rachel gasped and ran over to him. He also had a pretty decent-sized bruise on the side of his face. She wasn't sure where he wasn't covered in mud, so she settled for touching his shoulder. "Noah, what happened?"

"What do you think happen?" Anne demanded. "It was those boys on the football team. They took their hazing a little too far and kidnapped him."

Puck sighed heavily. "It wasn't like that, Mom," he said quietly. Except it clearly was. They had basically kidnapped him and left him in some field in a puddle of mud. He had to walk back to the café, and his mother had just about had a kitten when she saw him.

Rachel stood up, her shoulders stiff. She knew what she had to do.

The following day, Rachel managed to snag Finn as he was walking down the hallway. She grabbed his hand and hauled him into an empty classroom, away from prying eyes.

"Damn, Rach," Finn said with a chuckle. "I had no idea that someone so tiny could be so strong."

"Shut up," Rachel ordered. "And listen, because I'm only going to say this once. Here's how this is going to work: I'm going to tutor you so you don't fail your class, and you're going to stop hazing Noah."

Finn didn't seem fazed by Rachel's forcefulness at all. "Okay."

"What?" Rachel's head jutted back in surprise. She hadn't expected it to be that easy at all. Recovering quickly, she added, "And you can't tell Noah, either. Actually, you can't tell anyone. No one can know that I'm tutoring you."

"Okay," Finn repeated.

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and nodded her head once. "Good. Meet me in the auditorium at 6:00 tomorrow morning."

Finn grinned, and Rachel thought it was pretty dangerous looking (and Rachel wasn't about to admit that it made her heart thump in her chest). "Good."

* * *

Rachel sighed and checked the time on her phone once again. Finn was already ten minutes late, and the school was completely empty and quiet. It didn't seem as if he would really be getting there, either.

Rachel knew that she shouldn't have agreed to this. She should have known that Finn wasn't going to take this seriously. Rachel was a smart girl, and she should have realized this beforehand. Muttering under her breath about Neanderthal jocks, Rachel began to pack her music books into her bag.

Just then, the door to the auditorium opened and Finn came rushing down the aisle. Rachel seriously considered just blowing him off, but she couldn't. She just wasn't that kind of person—Finn needed help, and Rachel was going to give it.

Still, that didn't mean she couldn't give him crap for it. "You're late," Rachel stated.

Finn gave her that charming half smile that mad her heart thump harder in her chest. "Sorry, Rach," he said. "I stopped to pick up some breakfast for us."

Finn produced two coffee cups and extended one towards Rachel. Taking the cup from him, she tried to ignore the way their fingers brushed. She popped the lid on the drink and saw that it was a chai latte.

"I saw you drinking one earlier," Finn explained. Rachel's cheeks pinked at the thought of Finn watching her closely enough to know what she was drinking, and she almost missed what he said next. "And I bought this, too." He pulled a pack of Cracker Jacks from the pocket of his letterman jacket.

"That's hardly a balanced breakfast, Finn," Rachel pointed out. She took a sip of her chai and tried to hide her sigh of appreciation. It really was a very good latte.

Finn rolled his eyes good-naturedly and tore the packet open. Peeking into it, he smiled when he saw the prize inside. He pulled it out and stepped forward until he was practically chest to chest with Rachel.

She blinked in surprise and then stared up into his eyes. He was wearing that damn half smile that both infuriated her and thrilled her at the same time. With his large hands, he reached forward and dropped a necklace with colorful star-shaped beads around Rachel's neck.

Amber eyes warm, Finn said, "Don't say I never gave you anything."

Rachel's heart was thumping loudly in her ears. She had never been this close to Finn before, and it was doing things that she had never experienced. His calloused fingers brushed against her collarbone as he pulled away, and Rachel inhaled deeply. She wasn't prepared for the warmth that his touch caused.

Pulling herself from the trance she had suddenly found herself in, Rachel stepped back and reached for her bag. She pulled the music book out once again and thrust it towards Finn,.

"Find a song that you like and we'll begin with that after we warm up," Rachel said. She really hoped that Finn couldn't hear the slight shake to her voice. If he did, he didn't acknowledge it.

To Rachel's surprise, Fin took the book and began to look through it. She moved towards the piano, ready to begin playing for vocal warm ups.

What she didn't notice was that Finn was grinning at her the entire time.

* * *

"You're late. Again."

Finn dropped into his seat next to Rachel and let his bag fall to the ground. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Rachel tried not to let her concern for how Finn was acting overcome her anger for how he had behaved at the party of the weekend. Rachel hadn't wanted to go, but Puck had practically dragged her there. Naturally, Finn had made some comment and it had pissed Puck off and he left the party. Rachel stuck around long enough to berate Finn and then he gave her a ride home using Quinn's car.

Apparently it hadn't ended there, either. Puck had gone for a late night drive and found that Finn had gotten into a fender bender with Quinn's car and then just left it there. Puck had taken Quinn's car in to get fixed, and in doing so had found the hat that Rachel accidentally left in the car. To say that Puck hadn't been happy with her tutoring Finn was an understatement.

"Finn, you have to take this seriously. I know that we made a deal, but I'm not going to tutor you if you won't step up and make an effort." Rachel pointed at the beginner's music book she had put on the table. "Start with warm ups and then work on the song that we've been practicing."

Finn stared at the music book for a long moment before he rubbed a hand over his face. He didn't reach for the book, however, and Rachel couldn't help herself any longer. She had to ask what was going on with Finn.

"Finn, are you okay?" she asked, her voice softer.

Finn kept his gaze focused on the table. "Quinn and I broke up," he admitted. "And I'm still not doing well in this class and if I don't pass it they'll kick me off the football team and I just … it's a lot of change to think about."

Rachel bit her lip before she reached out and covered Finn's hand with his larger one. His amber eyes shot up towards her, but she refused to make eye contact with him. "Do you want my honest opinion?"

"It couldn't hurt."

"I think that Quinn wasn't very happy. And really, you didn't seem like you were either. You're right, it is a big change to deal with. But maybe it's what you guys need." Rachel took a deep breath before admitting to an observation she had been thinking of for quite a while. "You haven't seemed happy for a very long time."

Finn nodded his head slowly to acknowledge Rachel's theory about Quinn. She was right; it had been more of a relationship of convenience than anything else. It was probably was better that they broke up, anyway. Finn looked up at Rachel until his eyes connected with her big doe orbs.

"Sometimes I think about quitting football," Finn quietly confessed. He had never actually said those words out loud before, but it felt like some huge weight had been lifted off of him.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and tightened her fingers around Finn's hand, offering comfort. "You need to have some fun with this game, Finn. Because that's all it is. It's just a game."

"It may seem like that to you, Rach, but it's more than that to me. Football is my future. Football is what I've been working towards my whole life. I can't just let it go." Finn rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand and closed his eyes. "I don't think I know how to have fun with the game anymore."

Rachel's heart broke for the young man sitting in front of her. So much more about Finn was being explained with just this single conversation. It helped her understand why he was the way he was. Rachel knew that despite her annoyance with his jabs at Puck and his constant lateness, she could never abandon him when he needed her help. Finn needed support, and he needed someone to not leave him.

"As your tutor, can I make a suggestion?"

That caused Finn to chuckle, because he honestly thought that Rachel was going to kick him to the curb and not tutor him anymore. "Sure."

"Promise me that you'll play a game of football just for fun this weekend. I don't care who you do it with, but don't keep score. Just let it be a game."

Finn nodded his head and then flipped his hand over so that his long fingers could curl around Rachel's much small palm. He squeezed tightly, and warmth spread from Rachel's hand and out to the rest of her body. "Okay."

* * *

Rachel rolled her eyes at the constant and childish scowl Puck was sending her way. "And you call me dramatic," she pointed out. "You're being ridiculous right now."

Puck ignored that jab. "Are you still tutoring Hudson?" he demanded.

Rachel sighed heavily. She kind of regretted walking with Puck to practice. She should have known that he would still be pissed about that. "Yes, Noah. I am."

Puck shook his head. He didn't trust Finn as far as he could throw him, and he was sure that he was up to something. "You don't need to do this to protect me, you know. I can take care of myself."

"It's not all about that anymore, Noah." Rachel ran her fingers through her hair, knowing that her friend wouldn't like what was going to come out of her mouth. "I can't just turn my back on Finn. That wouldn't be right, and you know it." When Puck continued to glower, Rachel pleaded, "Can you just trust me please? I know what I'm doing."

Puck looked up and found Finn walking towards them. "I trust you," he mumbled. "It's Hudson that I have a problem with."

Rachel didn't even bother to dignify that with a response, but mostly because her attention was on Finn and the quiz he was extending towards her. As soon as Rachel took the quiz from a him, a full smile lit up his face.

"Finn!" Rachel exclaimed. "An eighty-four? That's amazing!" Straining up on her tiptoes, Rachel acted on impulse and threw her arms around Finn's neck. His arms slipped around her waist, embracing her in return and Rachel tried not to think about how good it felt.

When Rachel pulled away from the hug, she handed the quiz back to Finn and squeezed his hand. "You two should get to practice," she said. She looked between Finn and Puck with a smile on her face and missed the tension between the two brothers. If she did notice it at all, Rachel chose not to acknowledge it.

* * *

"Thank you for coming to this game," Puck said quietly. They walked into the gym of Bear Creek High School and Rachel hitched her bag higher over her shoulder.

"It's not a big deal," she said. "This away game was only a whole hour and a half away and it's not like I had anything to do."

Puck shoved Rachel's shoulder and she was so tiny that she stumbled. "Don't act like you didn't bring your homework. That's why you have your backpack with you."

Rachel rammed her whole body into Puck as retaliation, but he didn't stumble like he did. He just chuckled instead, and Rachel scowled playfully at him. "Guilty," she confirmed. "But how else am I supposed to amuse myself? You know I don't know anything about football."

Rachel jumped a little when she felt a hand on her back, but she smiled when she heard Finn's voice. "Maybe since you're tutoring me in music, I can tutor you about football," he suggested with a half-smile. Rachel really did love that smile.

Rachel noticed the tense look on Puck's face and held back her sigh. Her friendship with Puck had mostly returned to normal. He had accepted that Rachel was tutoring Finn, but that didn't mean he was happy about it. Clearly, he still didn't trust Finn.

So instead of acknowledging Finn's words, she just looked between the two brothers and said, "Good luck on your game."

Forty-five minutes later they were well into the game, and Rachel was pretty engrossed in her homework. The only thing that distracted her was when there was a collective gasp from the crowd. Rachel looked up just in time to see Puck shove Finn. In retaliation, Finn dove for Puck and tried to punch him.

The fight got so out of hand that they collided with the cheerleaders and Santana Lopez somehow got entangled in their fight. It took two referees to break it up, and Beiste ended up benching both of them.

Rachel dropped her head into her hands and closed her eyes. This was past the point of ridiculousness. Something had to give here, and Rachel didn't want to think about how extreme it was going to have to get before it did.

* * *

Finn sat at one end of the bus and Puck sat at the other. They both had their headphones on and were trying their best to ignore everyone else. Even with their fight, the Titans still managed to win. But that didn't mean that anyone on the team was happy with them.

The students all looked up when the bus pulled over on the side of the road. Beiste got up and stood at the front of the bus, glaring at them for several long moments. Her eyes easily found Finn and then Puck, saving the most intense glare for them.

"Hudson! Puckerman! Get up here!"

Both boys shuffled reluctantly up towards Beiste. She waited until they were directly in front of her before she pointed to the open door of the bus. "Get off."

Puck and Finn looked at her with matching looks of surprise. "What?" they said in unison.

"Get off," Beiste repeated. "If you two are going to act like idiots, you can do it while you're walking home."

"But… Coach…" Finn looked around the bus, seeing if any of their teammates would protest this unfairness. But no one said anything. "That's a long walk."

"Congratulations, Hudson. I'm glad you know that. At least you'll have Puckerman to keep you company during the walk."

Beiste obviously wasn't going to budge on this matter, so Puck and Finn grabbed their bags and climbed off of the bus. They secretly hoped that Beiste was just messing with them and would change her mind. But the bus pulled away from them, leaving Finn and Puck stranded on the side of the road.

Well. This wasn't how either of them imagined this day going.

* * *

Rachel checked her phone once again and shook her head. Beiste had been so angry that she had herded all the players on the bus and left immediately. That left Rachel waiting with the rest of the students who had come via a shuttle bus that ran between both schools.

Rachel was pissed at Puck's unbelievable stupidity for getting into a fight and leaving her alone in the first place. And she was so disappointed with Finn for provoking a fight with Puck. She really thought that things had been getting better with him

"Hey."

Rachel was pulled out of her thoughts and found Quinn Fabray standing next to her. Trying not to show the surprise on her face, she said, "Oh. Hello, Quinn. How are you?"

Quinn smiled but didn't respond to Rachel's question. Instead, she said, "So you're tutoring Finn."

"I am."

"Just… be careful, okay?"

Rachel's brow furrowed. She knew that Finn had a tendency to create trouble, but she had never known him to be outright malicious. Maybe Rachel had just seen another Finn that a lot of people didn't get to witness.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

Quinn shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes Finn likes to mess with people. Just be sure that he's not trying to play you, okay?"

Rachel didn't really want to take heed of Quinn's warning. Their tutoring sessions now always began with a shared coffee as they talked about what was going on in their lives. Rachel got to have these private, intimate moments with Finn, and she was sure that she was getting to see what Finn Hudson was really like.

Instead of saying all of that, Rachel just said, "Thanks, Quinn. I'll keep that in mind." Deciding to give the same courtesy to Quinn, Rachel added, "And be careful with Puck, okay?"

Quinn looked confused. "I didn't think Puck was like that."

"Oh, I know that." Rachel crossed her arms. She knew that Puck and Quinn had been talking more and more, but she also knew that Santana was after Puck. That was one love triangle that Rachel didn't need to know anything about. "I meant be careful with Puck because he's be through a lot and he doesn't need to suffer through a broken heart."

Quinn stared down at Rachel with her blonde brows arched. And then she smiled and laughed. "Listen, I'm waiting for Santana to get her ankle wrapped. I have to drive her car back tonight. Why don't you come with us instead of waiting for the bus?"

Rachel thought about saying no. Quinn Fabray and Santana Lopez weren't exactly the kind of people she hung out with. But on the plus side, she wouldn't have to wait another half an hour for the bus.

"Thanks," Rachel accepted.

A high pitched giggle reached them from the athletic trainer's room, and then Santana came stumbling out. Quinn caught her with a mildly exasperated look on her face.

"Quinn!" Santana exclaimed. "Quinn, the nice athletic trainer man gave me some awesome pain pills! Woo!"

Quinn rolled her eyes and shifted Santana so she could walk with support without putting too much pressure on her injured ankle. "Come on, Santana. Let's get you to your car. Rachel, can you unlock it for us?"

Rachel took the keys that Quinn was offering her as Santana's head swiveled towards her. "Rachel? Oh my God, are you a new friend?"

Rachel couldn't hide her laughter. Whatever pain medication Santana had been given had made her incredibly loopy. "Hi, Santana."

Santana tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "Hmmm, you know what? I don't like the name Rachel. Your new name is Santana!"

Rachel and Quinn laughed while shaking their heads. This was certainly going to be an interesting drive home.

* * *

But Santana renaming Rachel was hardly the weirdest thing that happened that night. Somewhere down the dark highway they were driving on, they came upon Finn and Puck. They both looked a little worse for wear and were covered in mud. Quinn pulled up to them and put the car in park, and she and Rachel simply stared at them. Santana was still passed out in the back seat—the pain medication had finally fully kicked in.

Puck sighed heavily. "Don't ask," he called out to them. But he looked just as confused as to why Rachel was in a car with Quinn and Santana.

Rachel held her hands up. "I won't ask as long as you don't ask."

Santana suddenly shot up in the backseat. "What's going on?" she demanded sleepily. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted Rachel. "Who the hell are you?" And then she saw Puck, and a slow smirk spread on her lips. "Oh, hello Puck!"

Quinn shook her head. "I think the pain pills are still affecting her."

Another moment of awkward silence passed, and then Quinn was telling the guys to get in the car. Puck nudged Rachel when he climbed into the car. Rachel simply shrugged her shoulders in response.

Their drive back to Lima High School was long and quiet. But when Rachel looked up in the rearview mirror, she caught Finn's eye. He smiled at her, and Rachel bit her lip as her cheeks turned red. She smiled at him in return.

* * *

**I kind of planned on season one being in one chapter, but it looks like this story will be a lot longer than I thought it would be. The chapters may take a little while to get out, but I promise that they'll be pretty long. Thanks for reading!**


	2. you gotta go there to come back

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This chapter title comes from the song "I'm Alright" by Stereophonics.**

* * *

Finn tapped his pencil against his notebook. He looked up at Rachel, who immediately looked back down at the book she was reading. She was beyond embarrassed to have been caught staring, but Finn definitely liked the cute way she bit her lip.

"Why don't you tell me something about yourself?" Finn asked.

Surprised by the question, Rachel almost dropped her book. "Excuse me?" she asked.

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "We always talk about me, but I don't know a whole lot about you. I know you're really good with music and you like tutoring people, but what do you want to do with your life?"

Rachel set her book aside and took a deep breath, running her fingers through her hair. "Okay, so everyone knows that I love performing and that's what I want to do with my life. But ever since I was a little girl, I've always dreamed on being on Broadway and winning a Tony."

With earnest eyes, Finn reached over and covered one of Rachel's tiny hands with his. "You can do it."

Blushing wildly, Rachel kept her gaze on their connected hands. "You've never even heard me sing, Finn."

"Yeah, but I just know you can. I believe in you, Rachel." His lips quirked up in a smile and he squeezed Rachel's hand before pulling away and returning to his studies.

Rachel's lips parted as she stared at him. Whatever crush she had on Finn Hudson had just become full-blown and had developed into something else entirely. She didn't do that great of a job hiding her smile as she looked back down at her book once again.

* * *

For once, the normally busy café was actually pretty quiet. It gave Anne the chance to sort through some of the dirty dishes and condense the pastries she had on display. She absolutely adored owning this café and cooking. This was where Puck practically grew up, so she had some of her best memories here.

The bell above the door dinged as it opened and closed. Anne looked up and was completely surprised to find a kind looking woman with short hair approaching the counter slowly. It was Carole Hudson, the last person that Anne had ever expected to see in her café.

"Hi. Um… what can I get for you?" Anne asked. Despite the past seventeen years of living in the same town and having sons with the same man, Anne had never really interacted with Carole. She had wanted to keep her life separate from the Hudsons, and that ensured not having any interactions with the woman now in front of her.

Carole smiled warmly at Anne. "Can I have a cup of coffee?"

"Of course." Anne grabbed the freshly brewed pot of coffee and a mug. She poured the beverage and passed it towards Carole, who took it with a nod of her head in thanks. The two women sat across the counter from each in silence for a few moments. Carole was the first to speak.

"So I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here."

Anne let out a dry laugh. "Honestly, yes."

Carole ran her fingers around the rim of her coffee cup, fidgeting with it nervously. "Our sons are on the football team together, and I figured that it would be good for us to at least get to know one another. It couldn't hurt, right?"

Anne stared at the woman who had married her high school boyfriend. She seemed completely and utterly sincere, which Anne hadn't been expecting at all. This day was turning out to be pretty odd, but Anne was getting used to having weird things happen. She doubted that it was going to stop happening, honestly.

Finally, she smiled at Carole. "You're right," she said. "I don't think it could hurt at all."

* * *

Finn shoved the textbook away from him and groaned. "Why are we studying music history? I thought this class was just about playing instruments."

Rachel pushed the textbook back towards Finn. "You have to learn about music history because some of the greatest music has been created during that time. These are important things to know, Finn!"

"I do need to get back to practice," Finn pointed out. They had been studying for the past forty minutes and Finn had finally hit a wall. "We have to keep the undefeated streak going."

Rachel rolled her eyes playfully. "Fine, we'll stop for now. But it's a good thing you have a long weekend to study for your test next week!"

Finn snorted. "Yeah, after my dad's annual kiss-ass party. You should consider yourself lucky that you don't have to go."

Rachel laughed outright that. She really was glad that she didn't have to go, because she didn't want to have to spend any more time around Chris Hudson than she had to. "You're definitely right about that. But I wish you and all of the other football players luck."

"Right." Finn's face became unreadable, and he looked down at the table. "All of the football players will be there."

Rachel watched him for a long moment. He looked kind of resigned, and that really worried Rachel. If you asked her, she really believed that Puck got the better end of the deal. Chris Hudson just wasn't a very good guy. Puck was never exposed to Chris's maliciousness or anger the way Finn was. Unfortunately, that was all that Finn knew growing up.

Deciding to change the subject completely, Rachel reached into her bag and pulled out a metal container. She passed it over to Finn with a bright smile on her face in an effort to distract him.

"This is my fool-proof study kit," Rachel told him. "It has Advil and pencils and erasers and anything else you could ever need to take this test. I even stashed some chocolate in there for you."

"Hmmm." Finn accepted the little study kit, his long fingers brushing against hers. "What if you just give me the answers instead?"

Rachel stood and slung her bag over her shoulder. As always, she decided that it was best to leave the tutoring session before she completely melted into a pile of crushed-out girl. "Haha," she said. "How about no?"

Finn laughed and Rachel shared another smile with him and then left the choir room. Puck was going to be so pissed when he found out that she had a thing for Finn Hudson. This whole thing just probably wasn't going to end well, but Rachel was determined to keep the peace.

* * *

"So our signal if we want to leave will be to caw."

Anne shook her head at her son. "We never agreed on that being the signal, Puck."

"I think it's a good one," Burt agreed. He held his arms out, flapping them like wings. "Caw, caw!"

Anne laughed, which had been the goal of what Burt and Puck were trying to do. She had been so tense since she had agreed to go to the party at the Hudson's. Anne hadn't really wanted to go, because it wasn't like she had received any closure. But she also wanted to support Puck, and that was what was most important.

"The two of you are ridiculous," she declared. Her smile was affectionate, and she smoothed out the front of Puck's jacket. Puck rolled his eyes at his mother's fussing, but he let her. She needed to do it.

Once Anne was finished, Puck rubbed his hand through his Mohawk to suitably mess it up to make up for the stuffy jacket he had to wear. "You have to decide on some kind of signal for when you want to leave."

Anne shook her head and straightened her shoulders before she reached forward and knocked on the door. "We're just going to go in there and make nice with everyone on the football team. And I'll just do my best to avoid Chris Hudson."

As soon as Anne was finished speaking, the front door to the extravagant Hudson house swung open. Chris Hudson stood in front of them. He looked dapper and suave in his signature suit and with his hair slicked back, but Anne Puckerman had never been more put off by a man in her entire life.

Without a word, Chris stepped aside and allowed Puck, Anne, and Burt to step into the house. Those who happened to be near the front door watched the four of them, waiting to see some sort of spectacle. But it didn't come. Instead, Carole came bustling in from the kitchen with a bright, warm smile on her kind face.

"Anne! Welcome!" Carole hugged the other woman tightly in greeting. "And Burt! I feel like it's been so long since we've seen you. I'm so glad that you could both come." She hugged Burt as well before turning to Puck, offering him a smile. "Puck, the kids are all out in the backyard. Feel free to join them."

Puck nodded his head in thanks and gave his mother a small smile, letting her know that he was going to be okay. He figured that it would just be better for him to go out there with the other kids. He had to be on this team, after all. While the dirty hazing had stopped, it wasn't as if he had been really accepted into the team either.

Puck left his mother and Burt in the foyer, but he knew that he was leaving her in good hands. Carole didn't disappoint. She took Anne's hand and squeezed it, well aware that her husband was watching them.

"Come with me, Anne," Carole said. "Let me introduce you to a few people."

The two unlikely friends disappeared, leaving Burt and Chris standing across from one another. Burt didn't really have a whole lot to say to his younger cousin, which was saddening. They used to be very close growing up, but that changed when Chris screwed over Anne and then abandoned her.

"That's a nice little family you've got there," Chris finally said. Strangely enough, there wasn't the usual amount of malice in Chris's voice. Burt just smiled at his cousin and shrugged his shoulders.

"Your family is pretty great, too," Burt pointed out. "But it doesn't seem like you really know it."

And with that, Burt left Chris standing by himself. It might turn out that this party was going to be pretty fun, after all.

* * *

"Puck!" As soon as Santana saw Puck, she immediately made a beeline for him. She had already bribed the bartender into keep her supplied with drinks, so it was safe to say that Santana was well on her way to being pretty tanked. "Hello, Noah Puckerman!"

Santana threw her arms around Puck's neck and pressed a loud, smacking kiss against his cheek. Puck caught her against him, his fingers snagging in the material of her tight red dress. He tried his best to keep her steady, and she giggled.

"Hey, Santana," Puck said in a mildly amused voice. Babysitting the drunken cheerleader hadn't exactly been on his agenda for the night, but he couldn't deny the attraction he felt towards her. Looking over Santana's shoulder, Puck caught Quinn's eye. Even with Santana throwing herself at him, Quinn was still who held his attention, however.

"I've been waiting for you allllllll night," Santana slurred. She pressed her lips next to Puck's ear, her fingers sliding into the waistband of his dress pants. "You're finally here and now this party can be fun!"

Puck finally managed to right Santana, and he hoped that she could remain steady on her ridiculously high heels. He patted her shoulder and headed over towards Quinn, who was making small talk with a few of the other cheerleaders. He walked by her, waiting until she noticed him and followed him off to the side.

"You clean up nice, Puckerman," Quinn said.

Puck's eyes moved up and down Quinn's body. She was wearing a slinky but appropriate black dress; it was much different from the tight ensemble Santana had put together. "You don't look so bad yourself, Fabray."

Unfortunately, that was about as far as they got in their conversation. Santana caught sight of them and made her way over, wearing a sneer to go with her freshly filled cup. Quinn let out a long, tired sigh. She should have known that Santana wouldn't have been happy with her talking to Puck.

"So I see how it is," Santana snapped. "You just wanted to pay attention to Quinn."

Quinn held her hand up, hoping to put a stop the show Santana was putting on before it even really started. Enough of their peers were already watching them as it was. "Santana, don't."

Santana flipped her dark hair over her shoulder and gave Quinn a disdainful look. "Whatever, Quinn. I know that you've wanted on Puck's dick since you first saw him." By now, they had a full and alert audience. Puck could see Finn watching them, but he didn't look too bothered by what Santana was saying. Instead, he just seemed annoyed that Santana was causing a scene at all.

"Santana," Quinn repeated in a quiet but firm voice. Puck took a step closer to Quinn, offering her silent support. Of course Santana noticed the small movement and decided to exploit it.

She gestured between Quinn and Puck. "Show us how you really feel, Quinn. Kiss Puck."

Puck covered his face with his hand. He couldn't believe that Santana was causing such an issue, and all because he liked Quinn more. He couldn't help his feelings—he had had them for Quinn for years. Santana was a nice girl, but it was when she got like this that Puck had doubts about how much he liked her.

He didn't expect Quinn to kiss him. He didn't expect her to react at all. Really, Puck just thought that Quinn was going to walk away and act as if this whole thing hadn't happened. But then Quinn grabbed Puck's hand, pulled it away from his face, and tugged him down towards her. Her hand slipped behind his neck and she kissed him fiercely.

Puck was so surprised that it took him a second to respond. But when he did, his hands found Quinn's hips and he returned the kiss with just as much intensity.

Just as fast as the kiss began, however, it was over. Quinn ripped herself from Puck's arms and disappeared somewhere else in the expansive backyard, leaving Puck standing there and wondering what the hell had just happened.

* * *

Rachel had just finished cleaning up the café when the phone rang. After a brief conversation with Anne, Rachel began to pack up several cakes and pastries to bring to the Hudson's party.

It sounded like Anne was having a good time, so Rachel could only hope that nothing too dramatic was happening. She finished packing up the baked goods but stopped to check her reflection in the mirror and touch up her makeup.

In the middle of reapplying some mascara, Rachel forced herself to stop and take a deep breath. She was only going to drop the cakes off and then she was going to leave. There was probably a good chance that she wouldn't even see Finn, so she didn't know why she was freaking out so much.

It took her twenty minutes to get to the party. She was greeted at the door by Carole Hudson, who ushered her into the house and profusely thanked her. Rachel smiled at her and followed Carole into the kitchen.

"Thank you so much for bringing the cakes, Rachel," Anne said. She grabbed a box and started to unwrap it, taking the time to arrange the cake on the tray that Carole had provided. She had spent most of the evening in the kitchen with Carole (in between checking up on Puck and Burt), so it was nice to do something.

Rachel smiled and took a brief glance around the kitchen. She didn't see Finn anywhere; in fact, she didn't see any students in the house at all. They must have been far away from the adults, hanging out in the backyard. Rachel didn't blame them, because she had heard entirely too many fake laughs for her liking.

"I'll help you set these up and then I'll head back to the café," Rachel said. There was no point in torturing herself by trying to hang around until she saw Finn. He was with all of his basketball friends anyway, so it wasn't like he would pay much attention to her.

"Why don't you stay, Rachel?" Carole asked. "The kids are all hanging out, and there's no reason you can't join them."

Carole knew exactly who Rachel was. She had recently returned from a business trip and found Rachel tutoring Finn at the piano they owned. Carole had immediately taken a liking to Rachel, and she really believed that she was a good influence on her son.

Rachel smiled at the older woman and unpacked the last cake. "I have to head back to the café. I'm still on the clock," she said. Rachel looked towards Anne to confirm this, but she shook her head.

"Did you lock up when you left?" When Rachel nodded her head, Anne smiled. "Then you're finished for the night. Go have some fun."

Rachel took a deep breath before she left the kitchen. She felt entirely under dressed for this party—everyone was in cocktail dresses and she was just wearing a casual skirt with a tank top and cardigan. Still, she figured that she could at least find Puck and hang out with him.

But she almost walked right into Finn. He grinned at her as he reached out to steady her. Rachel laughed and caught herself by placing her hands against his chest. A moment passed where they just stood like that before they seemed to realize that they were standing in the middle of a party, surrounded by other people.

"Hey, Rach," Finn said. "What's up?"

Rachel pointed back towards the kitchen. "There was a dessert crisis and your mom needed some cakes, so I brought a few. Your mom invited me to stay."

Finn's smile brightened, and he placed his hand on the small of her back. "I'll grab you something to drink and then we can head out back with everyone else."

"Hey Tutor Berry!"

Finn groaned, his good mood disappearing when he heard Santana's voice. He had seen her display with Puck and Quinn, and he really didn't like that she was trying to start drama. Finn felt as if he was finally regaining some kind of balance in his life, and he didn't need some jealous cheerleader ruining that.

Rachel sent a tight smile Santana's way. She had never had any personal problems with Santana Lopez, but it wasn't like they were close friends either. "Hello, Santana," Rachel greeted.

Santana smirked at Rachel and took a long sip from her cup. Smacking her lips together, she said, "Believing you'll do well is half the battle."

Finn's brow furrowed in confusion at Santana's odd words, but Rachel's heart dropped and her hands grew clammy. She knew exactly what Santana was quoting, and she couldn't believe that was making fun of something so personal.

Finn looked between Rachel and Santana, quickly catching on to the fact that Santana was trying to start something with Rachel. "What is she talking about?" Finn asked Rachel.

Rachel was beyond embarrassed, so Santana took it upon herself to answer. "It was so cute, that little care package you set up for Finn. And you promised that he could call you if he needed absolutely _anything_. Come on, Finn! It was in the note you passed around earlier!"

Rachel's cheeks heated up and her heart started thudding in her ears. She took a step away from Finn and turned to look up at him. He reached out towards Rachel and started to say something, but Rachel held her hands up.

"Don't talk to me," Rachel snapped. "And stay away from me."

* * *

Puck felt like the biggest idiot in the world. He had a chance to be with Quinn in at least some capacity, but he had to go and blow it by wanting more. At least he could go and sit on the rooftop of the café and just be alone for a while.

He was surprised to find when the door to the café was unlocked, however. He walked in and it didn't take him very long to realize that it was Rachel hiding behind the counter at the front. Moving closer, he saw that she had her face buried in her hands and was crying.

Puck didn't say anything. Instead, he just crouched down next to Rachel and waited until she looked up. She sniffled and wiped at her tears.

"This would probably be one of those times where you could say 'I told you so' and I wouldn't get mad," Rachel admitted.

Puck sighed and tried to get a handle on the anger that he could feel quickly building. Rachel was like his little sister. No one—not even the great Finn Hudson—would get away with messing with her. "What happened, Rachel?"

Rachel sucked in a shaky breath and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears. "You were right about Finn, alright? He wasn't… he wasn't the guy I thought he was."

"I'm going to fucking kill him."

Despite her tears, Rachel laughed. "Language, Noah," she scolded as she always did.

Puck hugged Rachel and then ruffled her hair just to annoy her. She laughed again and pushed his hand away. "Seriously, Rachel. I'll kick his ass for hurting you. I told him not to screw with you—"

"You told him that! Noah!"

Puck went on as if he hadn't heard Rachel. "—But he did anyway. And for that, he's going to get his ass kicked."

Rachel shook her head and nudged Puck's shoulder with hers. "Noah, please. Let's keep the hitting to a minimum, shall we?"

"Just a minimum?" Puck repeated. "Does that mean I get to hit him at least once?"

"Noah!" Rachel repeated. But she couldn't deny that if Puck wanted to tackle Finn on the field, Rachel wouldn't mind it that much.

* * *

Thankful that it was Sunday night and therefore the beginning of the school week, Rachel headed towards the door of café to lock it. At least she would be kept busy with schoolwork and wouldn't focus on the complete and utter embarrassment of the weekend. Thankfully, she was closing by herself tonight so she had some time to think for herself. Everything would just go back to normal now.

A knock on the front window caught her attention, and she looked up to find Finn standing there with his hands tucked into the pockets of his letterman jacket. His amber eyes were wide and earnest, and Rachel tried not to let it affect her.

"Rachel, please," Finn pleaded. "I didn't know about the note!"

Rachel stared at Finn for a long moment before she flicked the light switch, sending the café into darkness. Finn sighed and knocked on the window again, hoping that Rachel would at least cut him some slack. He felt awful that Santana had screwed up whatever had been happening between him and Rachel. He wanted to right it as much as he could, because he wanted to spend time with Rachel. He missed her.

"Come on, Rach! Hear me out!"

Rachel reached forward and slowly pulled the blinds down, blocking her view of Finn. No matter what Finn said, Rachel wouldn't forget the humiliation she felt at something that was supposed to mean a lot.

* * *

"I'm an ass."

"You're right about that."

Santana rolled her eyes at Quinn's immediate agreement with her statement. "I mean, I know I'm a bitch, but I was really bad at the party on Saturday night. Like, really bad."

"You were," Quinn agreed once again. She shook her head, brushing her blonde curls back from her face. "But I was just as bad. I really messed things up with Puck."

Santana tossed a pillow at her friend. "Why didn't you tell me that you liked Puck, anyway? I would have backed off if I had known." Santana may have been a self-proclaimed bitch, but she didn't cross the line with her closest friends like that. She was about to let some guy get in between her and her best friend. It wasn't worth the trouble.

Quinn finally smiled. "I know you would have. Honestly, I didn't even know what I wanted to begin with. And it's not like it matters now anyway. I think Puck is pretty much done with me."

Santana watched Quinn carefully, knowing that she was much more upset than she let on. Quinn had been actually happy when she had spending time with Puck, even if she didn't want people to know about it. Santana had to do something to fix this, and she had just the perfect thing in mind.

"This is ridiculous," Santana declared. "Two girls as hot as us shouldn't be single. We're going out."

"Santana—"

"Don't even try to argue with me, Quinn. We're going shopping and we're going to get some hot outfits and then we're going to a party at the university. First, I have to fix some things. I mean, I think if I make up for the people I screwed over, some good karma might came back my way."

Quinn laughed. Santana was constantly meddling in other people's business. Whether it was good or bad was completely up to her. "Oh yeah?"

Santana got up and went over to Quinn's mirror, fluffing her hair up slightly. "Starting with Rachel and Finn. I kind of screwed them over last night."

"Once again, I'm going to agree with you."

Changing gears completely, Santana asked, "You're okay with that? I think it's pretty obvious that Tutor Berry has a thing for Finn. Like, more than just a thing."

Quinn didn't look at all bothered by the fact that her ex-boyfriend might very well end up going out with his tutor. In fact, she smiled. "I think Rachel will be good for Finn. They seem to balance each other out."

"Finn has been less of an asshole lately," Santana agreed. She clapped her hands together and snatched her purse up. "Now let's get out and go shopping. If I'm going to plan something for Finn and Rachel, I want to make sure that I look fabulous doing it."

* * *

Rachel gathered up some dirty plates and deposited them on to a tray she had sitting on another table. Just as she turned to clear another table, Rachel saw Santana Lopez enter the café. Rachel could only roll her eyes as she walked away.

Santana wasn't that put off by Rachel's reaction to her presence. "Alright, I deserved that," she admitted. Rachel didn't do much else to acknowledge her. Instead, she just began to refill the napkin dispensers that sat on each table. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry for what happened at the party. You and Finn didn't deserve that. You know he didn't have anything to do with me finding that letter, right?"

Rachel sighed and paused. Even though she didn't look at her, Santana could see the regret that Rachel held for immediately getting angry with Finn. "I guess," she quietly admitted. Still, it didn't really make it hurt any less.

Glad that she got at least some sort of response from Rachel, Santana took it as a cue to continue. "I'm going to try and make it up to the two of you. Maybe I'll be able to appease the Gods of love, or something. The point is, Finn will be by at about seven o'clock to pick you up."

Rachel set down a stack of napkins and finally looked up at Santana. "Santana, I appreciate it, but I don't think that it's a really good idea."

"Why not?" Santana demanded. "I mean, I think it's pretty obvious that you like Finn. It's not as if the rest of us don't know."

Rachel could feel her cheeks beginning to turn bright red. She dragged her fingers through her hair sat down heavily in one of the chairs at the table behind her. She just wanted to avoid more humiliation. Truthfully, the idea of letting Finn into her heart scared her a little bit.

"Maybe it would be better if things went back to normal," Rachel murmured more to herself than to Santana.

Santana did a lot of things without thinking, but she felt terrible for the part she had played in what happened between Finn and Rachel. It was obvious that Rachel liked Finn, and it was even clearer that Finn returned Rachel's feelings. Quinn was right, too; Rachel was good for Finn.

"It wouldn't be better," Santana stated bluntly. "You help to make Finn a better person, and he knows it."

Rachel looked completely taken aback by this piece of information. She sat there for a long moment, staring at her hands in her lap. She wanted to believe that Finn had changed, but she didn't want to get hurt, either.

Santana smiled in victory. She had a feeling that she had gotten through to Rachel. "He'll be here at seven," she repeated.

Rachel sighed and rested her head in her hands. She had a choice to make: did she want to play it safe and keep Finn out, or did she want to take a chance and let Finn into her heart?

* * *

Just as Santana said he would, Finn met Rachel outside of the café at seven o'clock sharp. Despite Rachel's intense thought process and analysis of her and Finn's little set up, she still hadn't made a decision yet.

Rachel shook her head slowly. "Finn…" she began, but he was quick to try and persuade her.

Reaching out to take her hand, Finn looked into her eyes. "Rachel, just give me a chance. Please."

Ugh, it was so unfair. Rachel honestly couldn't resist Finn's amber eyes, and he was at least semi-aware of that fact. Rachel didn't say yes or no right away, and Finn took it as encouragement to continue trying to convince her.

"Look, Santana gave me all of these cards to lead us around on a date. At least you know it won't be boring." Finn squeezed Rachel's hand, his calloused thumb stroking over her fingers. "Please, Rachel."

Rachel looked down at their linked hands. She was almost embarrassed at how easily her resolve disappeared, but she didn't care at the same time. She wanted to say yes to Finn. She wanted to go on a date with him, and she wanted him to keep holding her hand.

Still. "I can leave at any time?" Rachel asked. She wasn't just going to forget what had happened at that party. She didn't want to be hurt like that again.

"Any time," Finn confirmed. A smile began to form on his lips; he knew that she was going to say yes. As usual, Rachel was unable to resist his grin and returned it with one of her own.

"Alright, what does the first card say?" she asked.

Finn pulled the small card out of the envelope. "_Go to your next destination. On the way, tell three things that you like about each other._" At the bottom of the card was an address that neither Finn nor Rachel recognized.

Rachel gave Finn a hesitant look, but he just laced their fingers together and slowly began to pull them along. "I'll go first," he said, sensing her slight reluctance. They walked down the sidewalk hand in hand, with Finn turning just enough to look down at Rachel.

"I like how patient you are," Finn began. "Even when I don't get something when you're tutoring me, you still work through it and you don't treat me like some kind of idiot. You're kind, too. I've never seen you be downright mean to someone and I don't think you have it in you to do that, which is not something that a lot of people can say. And you light up a whole room. With your smile, with your personality… with everything."

Rachel could only stare at Finn as her cheeks began to turn pink. She hadn't realized that Finn paid that much attention to her, let alone thought all of that. He really was amazing, and Rachel wanted nothing more than for him to realize that.

Rachel tugged Finn to a stop and he looked down at her with a questioning expression. Rachel smiled sweetly at him before she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a tender kiss to his cheek.

Now it was Finn's turn to look surprised. Rachel beamed at him and began to walk, waiting for Finn to follow her. Their fingers were still linked together, causing that tingling warmth to spread from their joined hands and all over Rachel's body.

"You're smarter than you think you are," Rachel said. She was about to lay all her emotions bare for Finn Hudson. "And you need to know that, Finn. And you're so sweet. I know that you are, so don't try and deny it. You also have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known. You think that no one can see when you're doing nice things for people or defending someone who's getting picked on. I've seen you do it, Finn."

Finn stared down at Rachel with his lips parted in surprise. Their steps had slowed almost to the point that they were no longer walking, but neither of them noticed. "Really?" he finally asked.

Rachel hated that Finn had so little faith in himself. She blamed most of this on Chris Hudson. He had tried to raise a ruthless son, but that just wasn't the kind of person that Finn was. He had a huge heart and he was innately kind. It was no wonder that he had some kind of latent anger after being harassed by Chris ever since he was a little boy.

"Really," Rachel whispered in return.

If there was one thing that came from all of this, it was that Rachel wanted Finn to believe in himself. He was more than his father's past and choices. He had to know that.

They arrived at their next destination, and it turned out that it was just a stop along the way to their main date. Finn reached for the next envelope and pulled the card out.

"_Hold hands the entire way to your date,_" Finn read. He looked down at their entwined fingers and both Finn and Rachel laughed.

"I'd say that we're ahead of the game there," Rachel teased. "What's the next stop?"

"A restaurant," Finn said after he studied the address. "It's along the river."

They weren't that far from the restaurant, so Finn and Rachel just walked in a comfortable silence the entire way. When they reached their assigned table, they saw that there was yet another envelope waiting for them. This time, Rachel snatched it up to read it.

"_Order your favorite thing from the menu and give it to the other person,_" Rachel read. Looking up at Finn, Rachel grinned. "Hmmm, this should be interesting."

"Be nice to me," Finn pleaded. He knew that Rachel kept to a mostly meatless diet. She indulged in fish and cheese, but Finn didn't know the extent of just how far her eating habits went. "No tofu, please."

Rachel picked up her menu and began to inspect it. "Don't worry, I wouldn't do that to you." Her eyes twinkled and Finn chuckled.

Fifteen minutes later, their food was delivered to them. Finn got a seafood medley that featured shrimp, which was something that Rachel thought Finn would enjoy. It still kept to the rules of the card, because it was something that Rachel liked to eat as well. However, Rachel was surprised to find a plate of steaming macaroni and cheese in front of her. She looked down at it and then looked back up at Finn.

He chuckled at the look on her face. "Macaroni and cheese is your favorite," Finn said by way of explanation.

There was one tutoring session where they had talked about their favorite foods. Rachel had revealed that she loved to indulge in real macaroni and cheese, because it was just too good for her to give up. Finn had remembered such a small detail from a conversation they had shared weeks ago, and that made Rachel like him even more.

"You're sweet," Rachel declared, causing Finn's cheeks to turn red. She giggled, and it only endeared Finn to her further.

After their shared dinner, Finn and Rachel left the restaurant. Santana hadn't left another card for them, so they were free to do what they wanted. They headed towards the docks by the river. This time, Finn slipped his arm around Rachel's waist. She didn't hesitate to lean into him and she closed her eyes, just savoring in the moment.

"This was nice," Rachel said once she opened her eyes again. She tilted her head up to look at him and smiled. "I'm glad you convinced me to go."  
Finn returned her smile and then brought his hand up to cup her cheek. Rachel's breath caught in her throat as she stared into Finn's amber eyes. Slowly, Finn bent towards her. When Rachel didn't move away, Finn gently touched his lips to hers.

Rachel's hand grasped Finn's shirt as their lips slowly moved together. When Finn pulled back, Rachel beamed and pulled Finn back down towards her for another kiss.

* * *

"So you're dating Finn Hudson."

Rachel tossed a pillow at Puck, smiling triumphantly when it hit the side of his head. "Oh no you don't, Noah! I believe it was Santana Lopez who answered your door wearing nothing but your shirt. So why don't you tell me who you're dating?" Puck could give her all the crap he wanted to do for dating Finn, but the last time she checked, he had wanted to date Quinn and not Santana.

Puck dragged his hand through his Mohawk, knowing that he had gotten caught. "Well, Santana and I aren't exactly _dating_ right now…

"Oh really?" Rachel laughed at how uncomfortable Puck was. "Then what are you doing?"

Puck sighed. "I don't know! Something happened last night with Quinn and Santana and they both got into some trouble. I saw Santana taking care of Quinn and it was a side of her that I've never seen before. We ended up talking all night and then… well…"

Rachel held her hands up and wrinkled her nose. "Spare me the details, Noah. I don't need to know about your sex life."

Puck tossed the pillow back at Rachel, but she dodged it. He pointed an accusing finger at her instead. "I better not hear anything about you and Finn, either. There are things that I don't ever want to know about."

"Noah!" Rachel shrieked. Her cheeks turned bright pink and she buried her face in her hands.

"Rachel, I'm serious," Puck implored. "If he pressures you at all—"

"We're not talking about this," Rachel interjected from behind her hands. She couldn't believe that Puck was pulling the big brother card and trying to give her "The Talk." This was beyond embarrassing. "We're not."

"We are talking about this," Puck said. "If he does anything to make you feel uncomfortable, I will kick his ass. You've heard his reputation."

Rachel stood and crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't do that," she snapped. "Finn isn't anything like his reputation, and if you even gave him a chance, you would realize that. I could say the same about Santana, you know. She has a reputation too."

Puck held his hands up in surrender. "Point taken," he mumbled. "No judgment here."

"I'm serious, Noah," Rachel said. "Maybe you should get to know him. Not only are you two n the football team together, but you're brothers whether you like it or not."

"Eh," was all Puck said in response.

Rachel sat back down again. "Come on, Noah. What's going on?"

Puck shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just kind of stressed with the big football game this weekend. And my mom left for Italy and everything, so… I mean, staying with Burt is great and all, but Kurt keeps trying to tell me how to exfoliate my skin. I think he's missing the fact that I don't really care."

Rachel laughed outright at that. Anne had gotten accepted into a prestigious cooking program in Italy. It was six weeks long, so Puck was staying with Burt. Interestingly enough, Carole had ended up volunteering to take care of the café. It had been a bit of an adjustment for everyone the past couple of days, but they were all getting used to it.

"Kurt is just trying to help out," Rachel said as she patted Puck's shoulder. Kurt was Burt's son. He was there age and he attended Dalton Academy instead of Lima High School. Given that Burt was always around, both Puck and Rachel were pretty good friends with him.

"Just make him stop trying to teach me how to moisturize," Puck grumbled as Rachel dissolved into laughter once again.

* * *

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Rachel shouldered her backpack and left her English class. She had a short shift at the café (which was still weird because Carole was running it), and then she had a night of homework and rehearsals ahead of her.

Rachel was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Finn sneaking up behind her. He grabbed onto her waist, causing her to jump in surprise. With a squeak, she turned around in Finn's arm and didn't even have time to think before he pulled her into an empty classroom.

Finn pushed Rachel up against the wall and bent to kiss her. Rachel completely melted against him, locking her fingers into his hair. Finn's grip tightened on her waist as he kissed her into breathlessness.

"Oh my God," Rachel murmured when they broke apart. "I can't believe we're doing this right now!"

Finn kissed her again, smiling against her lips. "Believe it, because we're doing it." He rested his forehead against Rachel's. "I missed you today."

The effect that Finn Hudson had on her blew Rachel's mind sometimes. She could have melted into a puddle right then and there. Based on the smirk forming on Finn's face, he totally knew it too.

"I think I'll come by the café today. You're working, right?" Finn asked.

Rachel nodded her head and played with the hair at the nape of Finn's neck. "I'll be there. You can keep me company while I do my homework after that, too."

"Oh goody," Finn joked. "Homework. Just what I wanted to do."

Rachel laughed and patted his cheek. "Someone has to make sure you do it, Finn. I am your tutor, after all."

"That's kind of hot, by the way." Finn's eyes grew dark, and his grip tightened on her hips. Rachel felt her whole body heat up under his gaze, and she giggled. Finn grinned and kissed her again.

* * *

"Are you ready for the game this weekend?" Chris asked. He took another bite of his cold sandwich and waited for his son's response.

Finn popped a chip into his mouth and gave the sandwich in front of him a disappointed look. His father was trying to make a point by buying takeout while Carole was helping out at Anne's Café. Finn was about to start begging for a home-cooked meal any time now.

Finn grinned and nodded his head. He was pretty confident that he and the rest of the team would win over Cove City. They were finally working together as a real team, and he had a feeling that the game would go well.

"We're going to kick Cove City's ass," Finn said.

Chris smirked and turned a page in the newspaper was flipping through. "You do know who had the furthest passing record against Cove City, right?"

"You did," Finn responded. He had heard this story many times. Chris was constantly telling him about his glory days in high school. "But I think I might top that this weekend."

"No you won't."

Finn's brow furrowed, and he was unsure if he had heard his father correctly. "What?"

"You're not going to break my record," Chris repeated. "Because you're not good enough."

Finn stared at his father, but Chris just returned to his newspaper and took another bite of his sandwich. Finn's jaw tightened and he said nothing as he continued to eat his meal. When he was done, he left the table without a word.

Finn walked into his room and quietly shut the door behind him. As soon as it was closed, Finn turned and kicked over the chair sitting in front of his desk. Breathing hard, he collapsed on his bed and reached for his phone.

He found the number for one of his teammates, Joe Hart. "Hey, Joe," Finn greeted when the other boy picked up. "Listen, I was wondering if your brother was still dealing. And I'm not talking about weed. I'm talking about performance enhancers."

* * *

Santana tapped Puck on the shoulder and grinned. "So I had this idea, do you want to hear it? I know you do."

Puck chuckled and looked down at her. "I'm sure you'll tell me anyway."

Santana sat next to Puck and took trailed her fingers up his thigh. "I had such a fabulous time with you that I figured we should hang out again. I promise you we'll have fun."

And that's how Puck found himself at a bar later that night. Sure, he had drunk a few beers here and there, but he had never snuck into a bar underage. Apparently that didn't matter to Santana, though, because she was fully prepared with fake IDs.

"Come on, Puckerman," Santana encouraged. "You need to have some fun."

"I know how to have fun," Puck retorted. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. "I thought I proved that to you a few nights ago."

Santana ran her hands up and down Puck's chest. "You definitely did. And we'll be having that kind of fun later, but that's not what I'm talking about. We're going to have a different kind of fun." She pushed the mug of beer towards Puck. "Drink your beer, and then have another one."

An hour later, both Santana and Puck were well on their way to drunk. Santana had kicked Puck's ass in pool several times, and Puck had given up and pleaded with Santana to go somewhere else. With a devilish glint in her eye, Santana pulled Puck into the alley behind the bar. She pulled him down for a hot kiss, practically climbing up his body to reach his lips.

"Do you like tattoos?" Santana asked when they broke apart. When Puck smirked at her, Santana began to tow him down the alleyway and to their next destination.

* * *

Rachel flipped the page in her textbook and looked over at Finn. He was currently spread out on her bed, studying from the music textbook. He was doing well in his intro class now, and Rachel was so proud of him. He looked up and caught her eye, grinning at her.

"Are you checking me out?" he asked teasingly.

Rachel scoffed to try and cover it up, but there really was no hiding it. "No," she mumbled. She pointed to his notebook. "Get back to studying."

"I'm trying," Finn said emphatically. "But _someone_ keeps distracting me." He waggled his eyebrows at her, causing Rachel to giggle.

"Please, Finn Hudson. I'm not doing anything to distract you. If anything, _you're_ the one distracting _me_."

Finn pushed his textbooks and notebooks aside and held his hand out. "Come here," he said quietly.

Without hesitation, Rachel stood and slipped her hand into Finn's. His long fingers closed around hers and he tugged her onto the bed next to him, his other hand immediately slipping into her hair as his lips descended upon hers.

The next thing Rachel knew, Finn's tongue was tracing her lips and she was splayed out underneath him on her bed. Finn's hand slid under her shirt, his fingers playing over her stomach before he tried to slip it up.

Rachel allowed him to do that for a few moments before she grew a little uncomfortable. She squirmed underneath Finn and tried to push his hand away. When he kept trying to pull her shirt up, Rachel pulled back from Finn's lips just enough to speak.

"Finn, stop," she said, trying to catch her breath.

Finn just moved his lips to her neck and tried to push her shirt up again. Rachel pushed Finn away completely and pulled her shirt back down, jumping up from the bed at the same time. She couldn't stop herself from freaking out about getting intimate with Finn. While she loved the feeling of his hands on her body, it was too much too soon. She didn't know how to say that to Finn without him getting upset.

Finn knew that he had stepped over the line. He reached out to her again, his amber eyes apologetic. "Rachel, please—"

"Leave," Rachel ordered quietly.

Finn stared at her for a long moment before he gathered his books up, shoved them into his bag, and stood up. He sent another apologetic look her way before he left her room entirely.

Rachel collapsed on her bed and combed her fingers through her hair. How was she going to explain to Finn that she didn't plan on having sex until she was married?

* * *

Rachel handed Puck a water bottle and took a seat next to him. Puck was still trying to avoid his mother's café as much as possible. Even though Carole Hudson was wonderful, he wasn't very comfortable with how Chris was spending time there, as well. So they had gotten their lunch from some food stand along the river.

"What have you been up to lately?" Rachel asked. They were finally getting a chance to get together and catch up. Sometimes, it was nice to hang out like they used to before everything got so crazy.

Puck smirked. "Santana Lopez," he responded.

Rachel made a face. "Ew! Noah! I thought we talked about this!"

Laughing, Puck drank from his water bottle. "I know, I know. It's just… did you ever imagine that I would be sitting here talking about sleeping with Santana Lopez and you would be dating Finn Hudson?"

"Um…" Rachel picked at the label on her bottle. She had to talk to someone about this. "I'm worried about Finn."

"What? Why?" Puck demanded immediately. "I swear, Rachel, if he—"

Rachel rolled her eyes at the big brother act. "He didn't, Puck. I'm scared about _myself_. Finn makes me want to lose control. I've never felt this way about anyone before."

Puck stared at Rachel for a long moment until he suddenly realized what she was talking about. Rachel was practically his little sister, so he never ever wanted to think about her having sex. Deciding to change the subject completely, Puck said, "I got a tattoo."

That certainly threw Rachel for a loop. For the moment, at least, she let go of her worries with Finn. "Excuse me?" she asked.

Puck rolled his sleeve up, revealing the symbol that Santana had talked him into getting tattooed on his bicep. She had a matching one in a much more private place. Rachel gasped when she saw the tattoo and pressed her hands to her mouth, looking at her best friend with wide eyes.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled by her hands. "Burt is going to kill you! _Your mother_ is going to kill you!"

"Don't remind me," Puck grumbled. "I can't believe I let Santana talk me into getting a tattoo."

Rachel broke into laughter and shook her head. "You're so dumb, Puckerman."

* * *

Finn looked around to make sure that no one was watching him before he popped a few more of the pills Joe had given him into his mouth. He hated that his father didn't think he could do well during this game. It wasn't so much that Finn had cared about beating Chris, it was that he didn't support Finn at all. Now Finn _had_ to beat him. He had to prove that he was just as good, if not better.

Finn took a swig of water and then joined the rest of the team out on the field. Of course, he saw his father. His mother was sitting next to Chris, and Finn was sure to wave at her. But it didn't take him that long to find Rachel.

He was so relieved when she smiled at him and waved. He thought he had royally screwed everything up after their little dispute in her bedroom, but it seemed that she had forgiven him. Finn smiled brightly at her and waved back before he pulled his helmet on and checked in with Beiste.

The game was intense. Finn didn't care who banged into him or who tackled him to the ground. He felt as if he was unstoppable, and he was making some pretty impressive throws. The crowd was cheering wildly, but it wasn't as loud as the sound of Finn's heart thumping in his ears.

They were starting another play, and Finn got the ball and tried to search for the player he was supposed to throw it to. Suddenly, the field grew blurry and the ground titled dangerously under his feet. The football slipped from his grip, and then the ground came rushing up towards his face.

The last thing Finn saw was Rachel's face before everything blacked out.

* * *

Rachel paced back and forth, constantly changing her mind between going to see Finn in the hospital and waiting for his phone call. The fear and utter panic she had experienced when Finn had passed out on the field had been unlike anything she had ever felt before. She didn't know what was going on, and she didn't know if he was okay. All Rachel knew was that Finn had been taken to the hospital.

Rachel reached for her phone and checked it for messages once again. She had several from all of her friends that insisted on checking in with her, but none from Finn. She tossed her phone on her bed once again and continued to walk form end of her room to the other.

The creaking of her bedroom door opening startled Rachel, but all other thoughts left her mind when she saw Finn standing there. She immediately ran into his open arms, pressing her face into his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. The relief she felt when his long, strong arms wrapped around her body and held her to him was indescribable.

"Oh my God, Finn," Rachel breathed as she tried to choke back tears. The last thing he needed right now was to see her crying, but she had never been so worried before. The fact that he was there, standing in front of her, meant everything.

Finn pressed his face to her hair, his eyes closed. "I'm sorry. God, Rach, I'm so sorry."

Rachel pulled back just enough to look into his face. She was surprised to see the tear tracks on his cheeks. Reaching up, she touched one with her fingertips. Finn leaned into her touch, sliding his large hand over hers against his cheek.

Rachel twisted her hand so that her fingers could wrap around Finn's palm. She tugged him towards her bed, settling him onto it before she climbed on next to him. She couldn't stop herself from touching him and wiping the tears off of his face. His beautiful amber eyes were so full of anguish, and Rachel just wanted to make it go away for him.

"I'm sorry," Finn repeated, shaking his head slowly. "God, I was so stupid and I just…" He took Rachel's hands and pressed them to his chest, holding them over his heart. Rachel was reassured by the steady thump underneath her fingers. "All I could think about was how much I needed to see you."

Rachel shifted forward until she was almost sitting in Finn's lap. She touched her nose to his cheek before she moved to his lips, kissing him tenderly at first and then more fiercely. Finn released her hands to slide them up her back, and Rachel twisted her fingers in his hair as their lips moved passionately together.

Rachel kept her forehead pressed to Finn's when they broke apart. There wasn't more than a breath between their lips. "I'm not going anywhere, Finn. I promise."

* * *

"How is Finn doing?" Puck asked.

Rachel's eyebrow arched. "Do you actually want to know?"

"Yeah." Puck sighed and ran his fingers through his Mohawk, making sure that it was spiked properly. "Actually, I do." Finn was quickly becoming a big part of Rachel's life, and Puck had to accept that. It was his job as her best friend to support her.

Rachel smiled brightly. She and Finn had talked about everything—and she did mean everything. He told her about the performance enhancers, and they talked about their relationship and then the pressure Finn was receiving from his father. Everything had been laid bare, finally.

"He's so much better," Rachel said. "He's actually spending some time with his mom right now. I think he really needed that."

Puck smiled. "Carole is nice," he commented. Really, Puck didn't have a problem with her. It was Chris that he had his issues with, and Puck couldn't hold that against Carole.

Rachel nodded her head in agreement. It was then that she saw Quinn and Santana walking across the courtyard. Santana caught sight of Puck and waggled her fingers, but it was Quinn's reaction that interested Rachel more. When Quinn saw Puck, a look of complete sadness crossed her features before she forced herself to laugh at something Santana said.

Rachel waved her hand at the two girls. "So what's going on with that?" she asked.

Puck tried to play dumb. "What's going on with what?"

"Don't try and act like you don't know what I'm talking about, Puckerman." Rachel slapped at Puck's shoulder. "Quinn Fabray and Santana Lopez. What happened that you're not telling me about?"

Puck sighed and looked at the two girls again. Santana was busy telling some story, but Quinn was watching him. He tried not to hold eye contact with her for too long, because it was just too much. Naturally, Rachel noticed the exchange and wouldn't stop poking him in the shoulder until he explained it. Puck slapped her hand away and she gave him a pointed look.

"Quinn found Santana in my room last night," Puck revealed. Rachel gasped at that little piece of gossip, but she kept her mouth shut to allow Puck to continue telling the story. "And, well… I chose Santana."

"What? Why?" Rachel demanded. "I've only been hearing about how in love you are with Quinn Fabray since we were six years old. What suddenly changed for you?" Puck had been harboring feelings for Quinn for as long as Rachel could remember. There was no way that they would just go away like that.

Puck shrugged his shoulders. "Quinn is complicated. She won't tell me how she feels and she keeps changing her mind and I'm done trying to figure her out. Santana is easy."

Rachel snorted. "You got that right."

"Hey." Puck shoved lightly at Rachel's shoulder. "Remember what we said last week? We promised not to judge."

"I know, I know. I just…" Rachel shook her head. Maybe Quinn was just scared. The longing looks that Quinn was sending Puck's way wasn't the type of thing that a person who didn't care would do. "I think after all this time, you should give Quinn a chance. You owe it to each other."

Puck shook his head and stood, ready to head across the courtyard and to his girlfriend. "I'm having fun with Santana. That's all I want right now."

* * *

Rachel refilled Finn's cup of water and then gifted him with a kiss on the cheek. She was finishing up a shift at the café and Finn was spending some time with her there. A lot of the kids from the football team were there, actually—as was Puck with Santana. Quinn was sitting at the counter as well. It was kind of odd to have them all in the same space, but hell hadn't broken loose and Rachel had a feeling that it wasn't going to.

"How was spending the day with your mom?" Rachel asked.

"It was nice." The corner of Finn's mouth turned up. "Did you know she kicked my dad out?"

Rachel paused at that. "Really? Wow. Did she say why?"

Finn shrugged his shoulders and twisted the straw in his cup. "I think it was a long time coming."

Knowing that Finn didn't exactly want to talk about, Rachel bent and kissed Finn's cheek once again. His face finally relaxed and he turned to kiss her fully on the lips. When they broke apart, they found Puck standing in front of their table.

His nose was wrinkled, and Rachel rolled her eyes. Puck really needed to grow up, honestly. And Rachel and Finn kissing was nothing compared to what she had caught Santana and Puck doing in the backroom earlier that day.

Getting over his disgust at seeing what was basically his little sister kissing someone that Puck was on the football team with, he said, "Listen, the guys and I were heading to the River Park to play a game. We wanted to know if you and the rest of the team wanted to come, too."

Finn looked up at Rachel. Honestly, he wasn't sure if this was a trick or not. When Rachel smiled and nodded her head, Finn asked, "What for?"

Puck shrugged his shoulders, but he smiled slightly. "Just to play a game. You know. To have fun."

Finn grinned and stood up, reaching for Rachel's hand. And the entire group moved from Anne's Café to the River Park, where they played the best game of football that any of them had experienced in a long time. And it was all for fun.

* * *

**Season one is going to take up like four chapters, I swear. I hadn't imagined it taking this long!**


	3. starving for truth

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This chapter title comes from the song "Hanging by a Moment" by Lifehouse.**

* * *

Rachel tried to figure out a way to peer around Finn's hands over her eyes, but he was blocking her sight completely. She giggled and tugged at the sleeve of his jacket. "Come on, Finn! Where are you taking me?"

Finn chuckled and stopped walking momentarily to press a kiss to Rachel's cheek. He began to nudge her along again, excited for Rachel to see their destination just as much as she was. They were finally there, and Finn pulled his hands away from Rachel's eyes and slipped them around her waist.

Rachel gasped at what was set up before her. Somehow without her knowing, Finn had taken Rachel into the auditorium at school. A blanket was laid out on the stage, along with a picnic basket. Rachel turned around in Finn's arms, her eyes wide.

"Oh my God, Finn! What is all of this?"

"This is a date," Finn told her. "A real date. I know that Santana planned our first one, and everything, but this was something that I wanted to do for you."

Rachel beamed at Finn and stretched up onto her tiptoes to press a quick kiss to his lips. Taking his hand, Rachel eagerly tugged Finn over to the blanket and sat down. Finn reached into the basket and pulled out their meals. He passed Rachel's container to her and added a kiss to her forehead.

"How did you even manage to get in here?" Rachel asked as she looked around. It was a Saturday afternoon, so it wasn't like the school was open to just anyone. Finn, for his part, just smirked and took a bite of his food.

"I have my ways," he answered. Truthfully, Beiste had a soft spot for him and when Finn had revealed his plan, Beiste had agreed to open the auditorium for him. Finn knew that she was feeling guilty for his collapse on the field, but he also knew that he had no one to blame but himself.

While they ate, Finn and Rachel traded stories about their days. Once they were finished, Rachel pushed the basket and their empty containers aside and then crawled into Finn's lap. Sliding her arms around his neck, she nuzzled her nose against his chest and closed her eyes.

"Thank you for this," Rachel murmured.

Finn rested his chin on top of Rachel's head and traced his fingers up and down her back. "No, thank you," he said. "You're amazing and you like me for me and you accept me. I just wanted you to know how much that means to me."

Rachel was mildly embarrassed to feel tears burning in her eyes. Finn truly didn't know how wonderful he was, and Rachel was determined to show him. She shifted in his lap, tilting her face up towards his. Taking Rachel's cue, Finn brought his lips down over hers.

Their kisses quickly grew heated and passionate. Rachel's tongue danced with Finn's and she pressed herself as close to him as she could get. Still not satisfied with the space between them, Rachel pushed Finn back against the blanket. A happy little sigh escaped Rachel's lips against Finn's mouth and he groaned a little.

Finn's hands slid up and down Rachel's back, but he was careful not to put them underneath her shirt. He remembered how uncomfortable Rachel was the last time they got this heated, but he didn't want to push her like that again. He was happy just to feel Rachel against him.

Eventually, Rachel's lips slowed against Finn's. She placed kisses along the line of his jaw and then rested her head against his chest. Finn traced his fingers lightly across Rachel's shoulders and tilted her head up so she could look at him.

"This isn't about sex for me, you know," Finn said quietly.

Startled by Finn's statement, Rachel sat up a little with her hands on either side of Finn. "What?"

Finn slid his hand from Rachel's chin up to her cheek, cupping it tenderly. "I don't want just sex. You need to know that too, Rachel."

Turning her face into Finn's hand, Rachel kissed his palm. "I know that, Finn." Her voice was soft, her smile gentle and caring. Finn's thumb brushed against her cheek, and all he could think about was how he didn't deserve her. He knew that he had done some pretty messed up things over the years, so the fact that Rachel had chosen him blew his mind.

Looking directly into his eyes, Rachel added, "I trust you, Finn."

The look on Finn's face was one that Rachel would never forget.

* * *

Rachel was just walking through the quad on her way to her next class. So she was completely surprised when someone latched onto her arm and yanked hard. With her eyes narrowed in annoyance, Rachel's head snapped towards her new companion.

Of course, it was Santana Lopez. "What do you want?" Rachel asked in as nice a voice as she could muster. After all, it was kind of because of Santana that Rachel had ended up with Finn. She might have been the cause of Rachel's humiliation, but she was also did her best to fix it.

Santana didn't waste any time with beating around the bush. "You're Puck's best friend, right?"

"Yes, and…?"

"Has he said anything to you about Quinn? I mean, has he been spending a lot of time with her lately?"

Rachel hesitated, unsure of what to say. It was an odd question, certainly. Rachel had noticed that Puck had been spending quite a bit more time with Quinn then he had before. She had gone into café more than once over the past couple of weeks and found the two of them giggling together (not that Puck would ever admit to giggling). Rachel had definitely taken note, because Puck had told her that Santana was now officially his girlfriend. Rachel had found it odd that Puck claimed that one girl was his girlfriend while he was spending a lot of time with another girl.

Rachel decided to just settle with a vague response. "He hasn't said anything to me." It wasn't really a lie, either. Besides some encounters in the café, Rachel hadn't seen much of Puck recently.

Still, Santana looked worried. Rachel was a little put off by Santana's behavior, because she had never seen the Latina look so unsure of a relationship with a boy. Santana was one of the most popular girls at Lima High School, after all. Even so, Rachel didn't really want to continue with this conversation. She kept walking, hoping that she could make it to her next class before Santana could tell her anymore. Of course, it didn't work out like that.

"I just don't understand what's going on," Santana told Rachel. "Things were going great between Puck and me, especially in the beginning. I mean, the sex is great—"

Rachel made a face and stuck her tongue out. "Please stop." Puck was basically her big brother, and she so didn't need to hear about his sex life.

"Sorry," Santana added before continuing. "But I've seen him with Quinn a lot over the past couple of days. I mean, I know they have a lot more in common than I do with Puck, but I didn't think that he cared about that…" She trailed off with a distressed sigh, and Rachel finally stopped trying to escape Santana by making it to her next class.

Rachel might not have gotten along with Santana that well, but she couldn't help but feel bad for her. Santana was trying to compete with Puck's lifelong crush on Quinn Fabray, but that wasn't fair to her. Santana didn't know the full story between Puck and Quinn, and she probably never would.

"I'm sure that it's not really a big deal," Rachel said to Santana. And she hoped that it wasn't. Puck made Santana happy, so she deserved the truth. "I think Puck likes you as much as he always has."

Santana took a deep breath, and she transformed into the confident girl that Rachel had known since elementary school. "Okay." She smiled and nodded her head firmly. "Thanks, Tutor Berry!"

After Santana walked away, Rachel shook her head. She didn't think she would ever get used to how weird things were getting.

* * *

If there was one place that Rachel could always find Puck, it was at the River Park. He was just standing in the middle of the park, looking up and down the field. Rachel knew that look; that was Puck's pensive look. She had no doubt that he was trying to figure out what to do about Santana and Quinn.

"Don't think too hard," Rachel teased as she approached him. "You might hurt yourself."

Puck snorted and glanced down at Rachel when she came to a stop next to him. "Haha, very funny." He sighed then and ran a hand through the hair standing straight up on the top of his head.

"So," Rachel began. "Santana and Quinn."

"Santana and Quinn," Puck repeated.

Rachel saw that Puck really was torn between the two girls. It was probably best to be straightforward with him, because he couldn't keep himself in this weird limbo. "Santana came and talked to me today," Rachel revealed. "She's concerned that you might like Quinn more because you have more in common with her."

Puck closed his eyes. He had been afraid this would happen. Even though he and Quinn had decided to just remain friends, there was a connection there that neither of them could ignore, on matter how hard they tried. "This is hard," Puck said.

"Of course it is," Rachel said immediately. "But you can't do this with them, Noah. You can't string both of them along."

"I know that," Puck said sharply.

Rachel ignored Puck's comment. "You chose Santana, and you're just going to have live with that. You can't keep bouncing back and forth between them when you get tired of one."

"Rachel!" Puck dragged his hands over his face. "I know, okay? I know that. I'll talk to Santana. Just get off my back, Rachel."

Rachel decided not to acknowledge Puck's snappish attitude. He was going through quite a bit at the moment, and she didn't blame him for being touchy. Still, Puck was her best friend—so that meant it was her job to help him whether he wanted her opinion or not.

* * *

Finn tucked his hands behind his head and let out a heavy sigh. "So now even though my parents are separated, my grandparents are coming over and everyone is going to pretend like nothing has ever happened." He shook his head and looked down at Rachel, who was curled against his side. "This isn't going to end well."

"You can't be that pessimistic already!" Rachel exclaimed. She poked in him the chest to emphasize her point. "Your grandparents have only just gotten into town, Finn."

"You don't know my grandfather, though." Finn closed his eyes and his arms subconsciously tightened around Rachel. Simply having her near him made Finn feel better. "Imagine my father, but worse."

Rachel bit her lip and tilted her head to look up at her boyfriend. He had been dealing with so much lately, what with his parents' sudden separation and the never ending pressure from his father. Beiste was trying to act as a buffer between Chris and Finn, but there was nothing she could do while he was at home. The last thing Finn needed was further bullying from another family member.

"You know that you can always stay here," Rachel said. "It's not like you don't spend almost every other night here, anyway."

Finn waggled his eyebrows teasingly and Rachel laughed, pushing playfully at his chest. Ever since the night that Finn passed out on the field, he would sneak into Rachel's room with her and just sleep. Rachel was almost positive that her fathers definitely knew that she had an extra sleepover buddy, but they never said anything. They trusted Rachel and they knew the story with Finn and his parents.

Once Rachel stopped laughing, Finn's face grew serious. He thought for a long moment before he finally said, "You could come with me, you know."

Rachel pushed up on her hands enough so that she could look down at Finn fully. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Finn sat up as well and wrapped his arms around Rachel, pulling her against him. "It's not really fair of me to ask you to deal with my family."

"I don't have a problem with it," Rachel assured Finn quickly. Finn had spent too much time in his life dealing with difficult things all on his own. With whatever happened between them, Rachel wanted Finn to know that he didn't have to face everything alone.

Finn gave her a genuine smile. "At least Burt and my grandmother will be there. They're pretty good buffers against my father and grandfather."

Rachel put her hand against Finn's cheek. That simple touch alone made him feel a million times better, and he relaxed. "I'm sure it won't be that bad," Rachel said.

Finn snorted. "You've never attended a Hudson family dinner."

* * *

Carole wiped her hands on her apron and smiled when her son and his girlfriend entered the Hudson house. Finn greeted his mother with a kiss on the cheek, and Rachel hovered shyly behind him.

Carole hugged her son before he turned towards Rachel. "We're so glad that you could join us, Rachel. Finn told me that you have more of a vegetarian diet, so I made sure to make some extra dishes."

"You didn't have to do that," Rachel said. She slid her jacket off and handed it to Finn. "Is there anything I can help with?"

Carole smiled. Rachel was certainly much more personable than the girls Finn had brought home in the past, and she could see that Rachel made him much happier. "That salad needs to be tossed," she said as she handed Rachel a pair of tongs.

Finn grinned as he watched how easily Rachel interacted with his mother. He knew that his grandparents were being entertained by his father somewhere else in the house, but Finn preferred to stay right in the kitchen. Besides, he kind of enjoyed watching Rachel get along with his mom.

His reprieve didn't last very long, however. Ella and Ian Hudson came into the kitchen, followed by Chris. Ella immediately squealed when she saw her grandson and bustled her way over to him, wrapping him in her arms.

"Hi, Grandma," Finn said with a laugh as he returned her embrace. Ian Hudson could be a jerk all he wanted, but Ella was just the sweetest woman. Seeing her when his grandparents visited always made it a little more bearable.

"Finn Hudson, I swear that you just keep getting taller and taller." Ella wasn't exactly a short woman herself, but she had to reach up as high as she could to ruffle Finn's hair. "And sweetheart, your hair is getting messy." Ella didn't give Finn a chance to defend his haircut before she rounded on Rachel. "And who's your friend, Finny?"

Finn slipped his hand around Rachel's waist and pulled her close. As she always did when he touched her, Rachel blushed. "This is my girlfriend, Rachel Berry."

Rachel beamed brightly. She knew that she was Finn's girlfriend, but this was the first time he had said it aloud—and to his parents and grandparents, no less. Her hand found Finn's and she squeezed it tightly. He smiled down at her because he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Ella and Carole exchanged glances when they saw how Finn was looking at Rachel. They were young, but they had never seen Finn this happy before. For the first time, he looked truly at peace with himself.

"It's so nice to meet you, Rachel," Ella said. Surprising both Finn and Rachel, Ella reached forward and wrapped the younger woman in a hug. Rachel laughed and returned the hug. When Ella pulled away, she clapped her hands together.

"I have the cake made and it's in the fridge," she announced. She always made her son's favorite cake for his birthday. "Don't worry, Chris. It's your favorite. And you should call your cousin, by the way. Where is he?"

Right on time, the front door of the Hudson house opened and closed. "Right here, Aunt Ella," Burt said. He had a bottle of wine in one hand and a birthday gift for Chris in the other. "Kurt is sorry that he couldn't come, but he had a concert at Dalton tonight. And if you don't mind, I invited another guest. She'll be here soon."

"Oooh, Burt!" Ella exclaimed. She had always been like a second mother to Burt, so she was just as invested in his life. "Did you bring a date?"

Burt laughed and popped open the bottle of wine. "Not exactly." He grinned when he spotted Rachel. "Hey, Rachel, Finn. And happy birthday, Chris."

"Hey, Uncle Burt," Finn said. He had always wished that he would have got to spend more time with Burt. If he was being honest with himself, he would say that Puck had definitely got the better end of the deal because he had someone like Burt helping to raise him.

Chris, for his part, just raised the glass of scotch in his hand by way of greeting. Ella jabbed his shoulder, and Chris mumbled a hello.

"Where is Noah?" Rachel asked as nonchalantly as she could manage. Things had been tense between her and her best friend since they had their little spat about his actions with Santana and Quinn. Rachel hadn't had a chance to see him since then, but she had seen him around school. Finn squeezed her hand in return, knowing that it was hurting her that she and Puck were fighting.

Burt gave her a knowing look before he said, "He's out with Santana for the night." He took his baseball cap off, knowing that his aunt hated it when he wore it at the table. "And hopefully they're not getting into any more trouble. Anne is already going to kill me when she finds out about the tattoo."

Finn snorted. "Puck got a tattoo?"

Carole reached over and poked Finn's arm with the wooden spoon she was using. "I hardly think you have anything to say about it, Finn Hudson. You have a tattoo on your arm."

"_What?_" Rachel let out a sharp gasp and tugged on the sleeve of Finn's shirt. "Show me!"

Finn chuckled at Rachel's reaction and rolled the sleeve of his t-shirt up. There was a tribal armband around Finn's upper arm, and Rachel reached out to touch it with his fingertips.

"Wow," she murmured. Okay, she definitely thought his tattoo was hot. "When did you get this?"

"He was sixteen," Carole cut in before Finn could explain. "And his cousins convinced him to have a little too much fun." She gave her son a pointed look, and Finn sheepishly shrugged his shoulders. He would never forget when his mother saw his tattoo for the first time. He had never been grounded before (but Chris's incessant football training and constant bullying could be considered its own form of grounding), but he had never come as close as that time.

Rachel giggled. "You certainly know how to get into trouble, Finn Hudson." He winked at her in response and squeezed his arm around Rachel's waist.

"Alright, alright. Let's move all of this food out into the dining room so we can get this birthday dinner started!" Ella declared. She clapped her hands again, urging her son and daughter-in-law into the living room.

Finn ducked down to murmur in Rachel's ear. Chris and Ian had already gone into the dining room to get a scotch, and Carole, Ella, and Burt were moving the food out into there as well. "I'm pretty sure it charmed you, so I think you like it."

Rachel blushed wildly. She glanced around quickly and saw that no one was paying attention to them, so she stretched up onto her tiptoes and kissed Finn quickly. He caught her by the waist and didn't let her pull away too soon.

But they had to go out into the dining room before any of the parents caught them. Finn and Rachel walked in hand-in-hand just as Shannon Beiste entered the dining room as well. He grinned when he saw his coach and knew exactly what his uncle had done. While Burt, Rachel, and Ella (and sometimes Carole) would act as buffers against Finn's father and grandfather, Burt wanted to make sure that he had another one.

"Hey, Coach!" he greeted. "I'm guessing you're the guest that Uncle Burt invited?"

"You guessed right. And happy birthday, Chris," Beiste added.

Chris nodded his head and took another long swig from his glass. Finn frowned at his father and resisted the urge to shake his head. And then Rachel's small hand was wrapping around his, her fingers slipping between his. He smiled down at her and bent to press a kiss to her cheek before they moved towards the table. Finn pulled Rachel's chair out for her, and Rachel didn't miss how Finn seated them in the two chairs between his grandmother and football coach. The move was an attempt to buffer Rachel from his father and grandfather.

They had barely been seated for sixty seconds when Ian started in on Finn. "So Finn, I've noticed that you haven't been throwing as many yards lately."

Finn's grip tightened around his fork. He hadn't even taken a bite of his food yet, and he was already being told that he wasn't playing football well enough. His jaw tightened and he stared down at his plate.

Ella swatted at Ian's hand. "Stop it," she ordered. "No football talk during dinner."

But of course, Chris was the one to answer. "I'm trying to get him to bulk up some more," he told his father. "He's needs to lift more weights and do more reps. His arms aren't strong enough."

Finn hated how they talked as if he wasn't there. And no matter what Finn said, Chris and Ian were going to insist that they were right. Finn was used to it by now, but the last thing he wanted was for Rachel to see this. No one knew what his family life was really like, and even though he trusted Rachel implicitly, he was ashamed of how he let his father treat him.

But, as Rachel always did, she ended up saving the day. Looping one of her arms around Finn's, she said in a bright voice, "Finn's arms are great!"

The whole table stared at Rachel for a beat and then Finn cracked, letting a laugh slip past his lips. That caused the whole table (minus Chris) to join in, and Rachel's cheeks flushed. Finn slid his hand down to hers and squeezed her fingers tenderly. Somehow, she was his relief. He didn't know how he was so lucky to find her, but he was glad that he had.

Ella smiled at her grandson's girlfriend with twinkling eyes. Finn immediately noticed that the look was full of fondness, as well, and he was so glad that his grandmother liked Rachel. But it wasn't as if he really doubted that, after all.

Turning to her husband, Ella repeated, "No football talk. We're here to celebrate Chris's birthday."

"Football is one of Chris's favorite things," Ian pointed out. It was clear that he wasn't going to let the topic drop anytime soon. "Why wouldn't we talk about one of the things he loves most on his birthday?" Directing his attention towards Rachel, Ian added, "You know, Chris could have been one of the greats. He played for Notre Dame and would have made it to the NFL if it hadn't been for his knee injury."

Chris glanced at his mother, shook his head slightly, and then said, "Dad."

"Chris, you know I'm telling the truth! You were the best quarterback Notre Dame had seen in years. Don't you remember, Burt? We used to watch Chris play all the time."

Burt snorted. "Oh sure, I remember." He definitely remembered Ian nitpicking everything Chris did on the field, and he also remembered the timing of Chris's injury.

"Stop it, Ian," Ella admonished. "Why would we talk about Chris's injury right now?"

"Because Chris could have been one of the greats! And now Finn has the chance to do the same."

Finn sighed and pushed his food around on his plate with his fork, his appetite suddenly gone. Rachel squeezed Finn's hand comfortingly. She didn't know what to make of their strange dynamic, let alone what to say. It seemed as if Beiste and Burt were thinking the same thing, while Carole just had her fingers pressed to her temples.

"Please, Grandpa," Finn finally said. "My football practices are going just fine. Everything is great." The dull tone of his voice said otherwise, and Finn could feel Beiste's sympathetic gaze on him. Honestly, the only people that truly encouraged him while at football were Burt and Beiste.

"But what about your stats?" Ian demanded, unsatisfied with Finn's vague answer. "You know, your father had impressive stats, even in high school. Have you even come close to breaking any of them? I know that Chris would have broken some records if it hadn't been for that career-ending injury—"

"It wasn't."

Ella's quiet voice caused Ian to cease talking, and he turned his eyes towards his wife. "What?"

Ella looked towards Chris, who was now staring down at his empty scotch glass. Seeing that Chris wasn't going to come forward, Ella said, "It wasn't a career-ending injury."

Finn tensed in his chair, his fingers clutching his fork so hard that the handle bent slightly. Rachel tried to sooth him by rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand, but was too focused on what was happening between his parents and grandparents.

Chris seemed to snap out of his stupor then. "Mom," he bit out harshly. "Don't."

"Chris, everyone deserves to know!"

"What is she talking about?" Whipping around to face his son, Ian demanded once again, "What is she talking about, Chris?"

Chris sent a dark glare towards his mother, one full of contempt. Ella shook her head, completely unfazed by her son's behavior. She hated to know that Chris was bullying Finn the same way Ian had done to him.

"Enough is enough, Christopher," Ella said firmly. She looked around the whole table before her gaze settled on Ian. "Yes, Chris had a knee injury. But it wasn't career-ending. Chris wanted out because you wouldn't stop bullying him, so I gave him a way out."

A blanket of silence fell over the dining room. Then Chris suddenly shoved his chair back, causing it to tumble to the ground. Carole winced and they all watched him storm from the room. Finn squeezed Rachel's hand once to let her know that he just needed a moment to himself before he got up and left the room as well.

Rachel twisted her napkin between her fingers, unsure of what she should do. Finn did need a moment to himself, but she also knew that it probably wasn't best for him to be alone for very long, either.

Burt was quietly talking to Carole, trying his best to get her to calm down. Beiste was telling Ella that no matter what happened, she had made the right choice. And Ian was staring off into space with a blank look on his face.

Rachel slipped out of her spot at the table and quietly made her way through the large house. It wasn't long before she found some type of study down a long hallway. She peered into the room just in time to see Finn kick over one of the chairs.

Rachel jumped and bit her lip. Unsure of whether or not she should announce her presence, her decision was made for her when Finn looked towards the door. Standing in the middle of the room, he tried to calm his anger and catch his breath.

Without any hesitation, Rachel stepped into the room and placed her hands on Finn's chest. He looked down at her before his hands suddenly encircled her waist and he drew her against him, his lips coming down over hers. The kiss was insistent but tender at the same time, and Rachel melted against him.

When the kiss broke, Finn's breathing had returned to normal. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Rachel's, holding her close to him. Somehow, in an interesting twist of fate, Rachel Berry had become his rock.

"He lied," Finn whispered. "This whole time, he had lied. And now…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. Why would Chris put him through all of that when his father did the same thing to him? Finn knew that he would never understand Chris Hudson, but this just completely threw him for a loop.

Rachel put her tiny hands on either side of Finn's face. "You shouldn't have to go through any of this, Finn. You deserve so much better than this."

* * *

Rachel and Finn had spent a few more moments together before she felt it was best for her to leave. Finn needed some time with his family to sort things out, and he knew that she was always just a phone call away.

Rachel had just stepped into her bedroom when her phone rang. Checking the screen, she was surprised to see that it was Puck calling. They had never fought like this before, but it seemed like Puck was making the first move.

Rachel tapped the screen on her phone to answer and held it up to her ear. "Noah?" she said cautiously.

Puck didn't hesitate. "Rachel, I messed up."

"Noah, relax. Tell me what's wrong." After being best friends with Puck for years, she had never known him to freak out like this. Even though she didn't know exactly what was going on, she had a feeling it had something to do with Quinn Fabray and Santana Lopez.

"I messed up," Puck repeated. "Quinn and I were alone together and we just couldn't help ourselves and things happened…"

Rachel sighed and shook her head. She had a feeling that something like this was going to happen. Puck's feelings for Quinn had been developing for years. No matter how much he cared for Santana, she really didn't stand a chance against Quinn. "Noah, you need to relax," Rachel repeated. "No matter what happened, it can be fixed."

She heard Puck take a deep breath on the other end of the line. "I care about Santana and I don't want to hurt her. She can't know that we did anything."

"You…" Rachel paused. She didn't think it was wise for Puck to keep this a secret, but what else could they do? Quinn and Santana were best friends and Puck had somehow managed to find himself in the middle of an odd love triangle with them. "Don't let it happen again, Noah," Rachel finally advised. "And if it does, you need to end things with Santana. It's not fair to her, Quinn, or you if you keep this going on."

"I know," Puck said. "I know. Damn, Rachel. When did our lives get so complicated?"

Rachel thought back to just an hour before, when the revelation had happened at the Hudson dinner. "I don't know," she said honestly. Their lives had been turned upside down and things were probably never going to go back to normal.

* * *

Rachel Berry was freaking out.

She wasn't normally one to freak out, but she was about to fail gym. And frankly, it was nice to worry about something so normal for once. The boys were busy with football training and practices, and Finn had been doing much better in his classes, so Rachel had some free time on her hands. Unfortunately, no matter what she did to practice for gym, nothing improved.

They were going to be judged on tag football. Rachel understood that Lima High School was all about football, but she thought it was kind of ridiculous to build a whole grade around it. Even though her best friend had played football for years, Rachel still knew next to nothing about it.

Naturally, she had to head back to said best friend and ask him to help her out. She followed him as he paced back and forth in his bed room, holding one of his footballs in her hands. She was kind of hoping that if she held the football enough, she might figure out what to do with it.

"So basically, Noah, I need a lot of help. I have absolutely no idea what to do with this thing." Rachel looked up to find that Puck was paying exactly zero attention to her. With an annoyed huff, she brandished the football in his face. "Hello? Noah!"

"What?" Puck jerked and then pushed the football away from his face. "What the hell, Berry?"

Rachel tossed the football at Puck and planted her hands on her hips. "I need help, Noah!"

Puck laughed outright at that. "Sorry, Rachel. I don't think there's a teacher in the world that can help you with football." Seeing the scowl on Rachel's face, he reached over to ruffle her hair. "It might be just a little bit of a lost cause at this point."

"Noah—"

Puck grabbed his jacket and headed towards the door. Rachel watched with her brow furrowed. She had only arrived at Puck's house fifteen minutes ago, and they hadn't made any plans to go anywhere.

Puck cut off Rachel's protests and pulled his door open. "Listen, I have to meet up with Quinn. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

He was gone before Rachel could say anything else, and she was left staring at the door he shut after him. What the hell was that?

* * *

Finn had been surprised when he showed up at the Berry house and was told that Rachel was actually at the River Park. He was even more surprised when he saw Rachel standing in the middle of the field with a football in her hand. She had several more by her feet, and she stared straight ahead as she spun the ball in her hands.

Finally, she pulled her arm back to launch the ball forward. It veered off to the side and Rachel stomped her foot and let out a frustrated noise, and Finn had to bite back a chuckle. Even though she was getting angry, he couldn't help but think that she also looked very adorable.

Finn quietly moved behind Rachel. Just when she was reaching for another football, Finn slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. Rachel let out a squeak of surprise but relaxed when Finn kissed her cheek.

"Oh, why are you here?" Rachel groaned. "I don't need you to see me embarrass myself!"

This time, Finn actually let his laugh loose. "What is it that you're doing, exactly?"

Rachel kicked the football at her feet. "I'm trying to learn how to play touch football," she grumbled.

"You know that you need at least one other person to play touch football with you. It's not exactly a one-player sport."

"I didn't say that I was succeeding." Rachel leaned back against Finn's chest and closed her eyes. "I'm going to fail gym, Finn! I don't fail things! What am I going to do?"

Finn chuckled and shook his head. His girlfriend really was something else. But she looked so cute as he stood there and pouted up at him. Finn kissed Rachel's cheek again, hoping to offer some comfort.

"You're going to relax, Rachel Berry. Because you're not going to fail your gym class." Finn took a step back and grabbed one of the footballs that Rachel had left on the ground. "You tutored me in music. I'm going to tutor you in touch football."

"Oh really?" Rachel laughed and stepped further back, preparing to catch the pass Finn was going to toss her way.

Finn spent twenty minutes instructing Rachel on how to properly toss a football. He teased her about her tiny hands and she poked fun at his giant genes. It wasn't long before Rachel had the football again and was trying to toss it towards Finn.

Deciding to take advantage of the fact that Rachel was trying to situate her fingers on the ball, Finn silently and quickly ran towards Rachel. Wrapping his arms around her, he tackled her to the ground. The strong cage of his arms made sure that she didn't get jostled, and Finn twisted his body so that he took the brunt of the fall.

Rachel giggled and placed her hands on Finn's chest. He rolled her beneath him and brushed his lips across her cheeks. She smiled up at him with shining eyes and slid her arms around his neck.

"I was under the impression that there was no tackling in touch football," Rachel murmured.

Finn bumped his nose against Rachel's. "Sometimes I like to break the rules." His lips came down over Rachel's then, his teeth nipping at her bottom lip. Rachel let out a moan and slipped her tongue into Finn's mouth, her fingers curling into the collar of his shirt.

Breathless, Rachel simply lay beneath Finn with her eyes closed when the kiss broke. Finn set her body on fire in the best way possible. And it didn't all go up in flames within seconds. It was a slow burn that made Rachel squirm and want more whenever she was even near Finn.

His forehead remained pressed against hers as they both struggled to catch their breath. Finally, Finn rolled off of Rachel and stared up at the blue sky above their heads. He tried his hardest to get his body to calm down, but it was hard with Rachel so near to him.

"You don't know what you do to me, Rachel Berry," he said.

Rachel giggled and rolled over, pressing her side against Finn's. When Finn groaned, she pressed another kiss to his lips and smiled.

* * *

Rachel didn't ever think that she would be hanging out with Puck, Santana, and Quinn all at the same time. Yet she was sitting in the café with all three of them, simply watching as they chattered back and forth.

"Honestly, though," Santana said. She grabbed onto Puck's arm and tugged to make sure that she had his attention. "Do you think your mom will like me?"

Puck seemed distracted, but he shook himself out his stupor long enough to say, "Yeah. I've told you that before, haven't I?"

Santana's eyes narrowed in a glare at her boyfriend. "Puck, how many times do I have to tell that this is important to me? I want to make sure that your mom likes me." She kissed Puck's cheek to punctuate her statement, and Quinn looked down at her hands. Rachel looked between Puck, Quinn, and Santana, her brow furrowed in thought. She had a feeling that Puck was even more confused about the two cheerleaders than he had been before.

Even if she didn't agree with what Puck was doing, Rachel had to help him out. It was her job as best friend, after all. "You're probably just excited to see your mom after all this time. Right, Noah?"

Puck gave her thankful look. "Right," he agreed.

"Well, that makes two of us." Santana snagged a fry off of Quinn's plate and then poked her in the shoulder. "You've been acting weird, too, Q. What the hell is going on?"

Quinn's face turned an interesting shade of red and she nodded her head. "I'm fine," she said quickly. "Completely fine."

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Santana nudged her shoulder against Quinn's. "We're best friends, Quinn. It doesn't matter what it is, because I'll want to help you no matter what."

"And best friends can get through anything," Rachel added. She sent Puck a meaningful look and he glanced down at his hands, obviously getting her meaning. "Noah forgave me for dating Finn," Rachel continued.

Puck snorted. "That doesn't mean I want to talk about it, or whatever."

Rachel rolled her eyes and ignored his jab. "And honestly, if he can kind of get over that, then anyone can get through anything."

The tension at the table finally (mostly) dissipated. Santana began explaining their next cheer routine. Quinn participated in the conversation but still seemed distracted. And Puck acted like he was paying attention to his girlfriend, but his gaze was almost constantly straying towards Quinn.

* * *

Today was an important day for many reasons. Mostly, it was because Anne was coming back. But it was also important because Rachel had received that fantastic news that she had passed her gym class. Naturally, she had to head over to her boyfriend's house and immediately share that information with him.

Luckily, Rachel reached the house just as Finn was finishing his run. Without any concern for his sweatiness, Rachel threw herself into Finn's arms and pressed a kiss to the first place her lips could reach (which just happened to be his jaw).

Finn laughed as he caught his petite girlfriend against him. "Well hello there. What did I do to get this greeting?"

"I passed gym!" Rachel squealed and jumped up so that her legs could wrap around Finn's waist. She finally managed to give him a proper kiss, and Finn held her under her thighs to support her.

Finn kissed her again quickly and began to move towards the house. "That's great, baby!" Rachel giggled and continued to pepper kisses across her boyfriend's face. Before they could reach the front door, however, it swung open to reveal a disheveled Burt.

Rachel immediately slid down Finn's body, her cheeks turning bright red. "Hello, Burt," Rachel greeted. She straightened her shirt, wishing that the ground would open up underneath her when she realized that it had ridden up because Finn had slid his hands under her shirt. Burt was Finn's uncle and he was practically another parent to Rachel. It was incredibly awkward to have Burt catch her making out with Finn, to say the least.

Burt mumbled an incoherent greeting and placed his hat back on his head. He hurried past the two teenagers, his attention on something else entirely. Finn's brow furrowed in worry and he glanced down at Rachel, who shrugged her shoulders.

"Uncle Burt, are you okay?" he asked.

Burt finally looked at Rachel and Finn and managed a smile that was really much more of a grimace. "Fine," he said. Even as he was speaking, he was still walking towards his car. "I'm just fine." Knowing that there wasn't really anything they could do, Finn and Rachel made their way into the house.

Carole was standing in the kitchen with her hands pressed to the counter at the island. Finn smiled when he saw his mother. He wasn't used to having her around so much, and it was kind of nice. "Hey, Mom."

Carole jumped and sniffled when she looked up. She passed her fingers under her eyes quickly, but it was clear that she had been crying and there wasn't a whole lot she could do to hide it. Trying to act as if nothing had happened, she said, "Hey honey. Would you like me to make you and Rachel a snack?"

But Finn wasn't really focused on his mother's question. Stepping around the counter, he asked, "Mom, are you okay?"

Carole backed away before Finn could reach her. "I'm fine," she said quickly.

Finn's face grew hard. That was the exact same thing that Burt had just said. Given their reactions, there was no way that Burt and Carole weren't stressing about the same thing. Finn wondered if his family could handle another blow, and it looked as if he was going to find out.

Rachel slipped her small hand into his and squeezed comfortingly. Relaxing immediately, Finn squeezed her hand back.

* * *

Quinn tore her lips from Puck's. Breathing hard, she placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away. Puck looked down at her and didn't remove his hands from her waist.

"Puck, we can't keep doing this," she said. Even as she spoke, she moved her hands up and down his abdomen. Ever since the weekend they had slept together, she had been unable to keep her hands off of him.

Puck seemed to be having the same idea as he slipped his hands underneath Quinn's shirt. "Quinn, you've been saying that for the past two weeks. And here we are."

Quinn slowly nodded her head. "But we were going to tell Santana—"

"And then you decided that you didn't want to," Puck interrupted. He moved his hands from her waist to her face and cupped it. "Quinn, you need to relax. We tried. I tried to be with Santana and we tried to stay away from each other, but we couldn't."

Quinn rested her head against Puck's chest. It was true—they had to tried to keep their distance. But even though Quinn constantly reminded herself that Santana was her best friend, she couldn't deny her feelings for Puck. It had been the weekend before that Quinn and Puck had decided to tell Santana what was going on, but then Quinn had chickened out at the last second.

"I don't want to sneak around with you anymore," Quinn said. She reached up and kissed him gently. "We need to tell everyone."

"You're right," Puck said. He sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around Quinn. He had to break up with Santana, and soon. While he truly wanted to be with Quinn, he also cared about Santana and didn't want to hurt her any more than he was going to. He had put himself in an awful situation and he had to face the music eventually. He might as well do it sooner rather than later.

* * *

Rachel peered over at the worksheet Finn was working on. Impressed with his progress, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. He grinned at her in surprise but then continued on with his work. Rachel grinned and slipped out of the chair she had been sitting in. They were in the library, and she needed to find a book for her research paper.

Of course, her book was somewhere in the back of the library. Making her way between the dusty shelves, Rachel checked the aisles until she was close to the one she was searching for. However, something caught her eye and made her pause.

Pausing, Rachel backtracked and peered down an aisle. What she saw made her mouth drop open, and she immediately ducked back out of sight.

Puck and Quinn were making out in the stacks at the library.

Sure, Puck had always liked going after girls and having a fun time. But Rachel had never known him to intentionally play around with two girls like she was now. She was disappointed in her best friend, but she was also upset with herself. It was clear that Puck needed his friend during this time, and she had been caught up with what was going on in her own life.

She took the walk back to her table with Finn as a chance to calm down and collect her thoughts. However, Finn took one look at her and instantly knew that something was wrong when she sat down.

Finn's large, warm hand slid over hers on the table. "Rach, are you okay?"

Rachel managed a tight smile. Glancing up, Rachel saw Santana enter the library. It was only a few moments later that Puck came from one side of the back, and Quinn came from the other. They all greeted each other. Santana reached up to kiss Puck, and Quinn looked on with sad eyes.

Puck managed to catch Rachel's eye, but she immediately looked away.

* * *

Rachel thought about being angry and just pretending that she hadn't seen what she had. But that wasn't who Rachel was. And that was why she found herself banging on Pucks' door right before he was supposed to go with Burt to pick up Anne from the airport.

"Hey," Puck greeted. "Are you coming with us when we go pick my mom up?" He was already ready to go, and he was grabbing his jacket as he spoke.

Rachel didn't respond to that question. Instead, she said, "Do you want to tell me what you were doing with Quinn today?"

Puck froze for just a brief second. "I wasn't doing anything with her," he said. He pulled his jacket on but instead of facing Rachel, he acted as if he was looking for something in his closet.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, we haven't even seen each other today."

Rachel threw her hands up in the air. Puck was her best friend, yet here he was, telling her all of these lies. "Yes, you did see her today, because I saw the two of you today! And while you're figuring out what lie to tell me next, let me remind you that you have a girlfriend named Santana."

Puck slammed his closet door shut and whipped around to face Rachel. "You don't need to lecture me, Rachel! I know, okay!"

"No, you don't know! Because if you did, you would realize that this is wrong. And if you can't see that, then I don't like the person you've become." This wasn't the best friend that Rachel had grown up with. And she felt as if she was partially at fault, because she had missed when he turned into this person.

Puck thrust an accusing finger at her. "What about you? What about the person you've become?"

Rachel planted her hands on her hips, feeling her anger flare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You and Finn! He said a few nice things to you and you fall for it! You know that he's just fucking with you, right? None of it is real!"  
Rachel gasped. The pain that sliced through at Puck's harsh words was unreal. He had tapped into every insecurity that Rachel ever had and was ripping it open. Puck's words were nearly unforgivable in that moment.

"Take that back!" she ordered. "Finn and I are together and I've never been happier! And I only started talking to him in the first place to help you!"

"Is that what you tell yourself every time you kiss Finn, Rachel? That you're doing it to help me?"

Rachel had enough. She yanked open the door. "You know what, don't talk to me anymore!"

"FINE!" Puck yelled.

"FINE!" Rachel slammed the door shut behind her, and that was that.

* * *

Puck entered the café, where he was supposed to be meeting Burt. He just wanted to get to the airport to pick up his mom. Maybe she would be able to help him figure all of this out.

Burt set aside the beer he had been drinking and stood up. "Ready to go?" he asked. Puck nodded his head but otherwise didn't say anything else. He and Burt got into the car, and Puck still remained silent during the drive through town.

"Are you okay?" Burt eventually asked.

Puck released a heavy sigh. "Rachel and I got into a fight," he revealed. "She said some things and…"

"And she might have been right?" Burt prodded gently. He wasn't going to sugarcoat it for Puck. Even since Anne had left, Puck had been getting himself into quite a bit of trouble. Every kid went through a phase like this eventually, and Puck just had to realize that it wasn't always going to be like this.

Puck grunted and crossed his arms over his chest. He knew that Burt and Rachel were both right. And even worse than that, he regretted everything that he had said to Rachel. It hadn't been fair at all. She had just been looking out for him, because she didn't want him to make mistakes. But then he had to go and throw her insecurities back in her face.

Puck knew that Finn really did care for Rachel. He may not have liked the guy, but Finn had become a better person since he started his relationship with Rachel. He kind of doubted that he and Finn would ever be best friends, but he could support their relationship. They made each other happy.

Burt pulled up to a stoplight and looked towards Puck. "So?"

Of course Burt knew that there was something else he wanted to add. "I said some things to her that I probably shouldn't have," he admitted.

To Puck's surprise, Burt simply smiled. "You guys will be fine. Best friends fight, but they get over it. That's the point of having a best friend."

He glanced up at the light and began to pull out into the intersection. Puck glanced out the window just in time to see a car barreling towards them.

"Burt!" Puck yelled. And that was the last thing he remembered before that car slammed into theirs.

* * *

Rachel rested her head on Finn's chest. Her brow remained furrowed and there was a permanent frown on her lips. Finn wasn't forcing her to talk—instead, he had just rubbed her back, holding her in his arms.

Finn pressed a kiss to her forehead and pressed his thumb against the pout on her face. He tried to smooth the worry lines away, and Rachel released a sigh and relaxed fully in Finn's arms. If she was going through all of this, she was glad that she at least had Finn there with her.

"I just don't understand," Rachel said for what was probably the hundredth time. "What's going on with him? Noah has never been like this before."

Finn's hands traced random patterns on her back. "Speaking from experience, football can be pretty stressful. That might have something to do with it."

Rachel lifted her head and arched an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "Are you actually _defending_ Noah?"

"Well…"

"Oh my God, you're defending Noah!"

"I'm just saying." Finn smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead. "I know a little bit what it's like. It's a big adjustment and there's a lot of change. Plus, Santana is really intense. And Quinn is… Quinn."

"We're so not talking about your ex-girlfriends right now," Rachel stated. Finn's cheeks turned red and Rachel patted his face gently. She had to take a little bit of pity on him. Finn really had changed, and she couldn't hold his past against him. Things were different now. Plus, they were all sort of friends—in a weird, odd sort of way.

Steering the conversation back to the original topic, Finn said, "It's just a little weird, that's all."

"What is?" Rachel asked. She snuggled further against Finn and closed her eyes.

"That Puck is the jerk now. That used to be my role."

Rachel let out a delicate snort and nodded her head. Somehow, Finn and Puck had reversed roles. The world as they had known it had been turned upside down, and Finn was right. It was going to take a bit of adjustment, but Rachel knew that they would be able to figure it out.

"This whole thing started because I was trying to mess with Puck," Finn continued. "Now look where we are."  
Wait a second.

Rachel's head shot up and she stared down at Finn, who looked as if he didn't have a care in the world. His eyes were closed as well and he had a smile on his face as his hands tightened around Rachel's waist. When she sat up, his eyes opened and he gave her a playful look.

"Hey, where did you go?"

Rachel pulled further away from Finn. "What did you mean, this all started because you were trying to mess with Puck? What are you talking about?"

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "Back when Puck first started on the football team, we tried to screw with him. You're his best friend, so it kind of seemed like the best way to—"

Rachel jumped up from the bed and held her hands out. "Don't even finish that sentence," she ordered. "Don't you dare."  
Finn seemed to realize that he had made a grave mistake. "Rachel, it may have started out like that, but it's different now. I care about you so much—"

"Don't!" Rachel interrupted once again. Her heart tightened in her chest and she felt as if the room was spinning. Had Puck been right all along? What had Finn been trying to do? Was everything that happened between them a lie? "Was this all some sort of game to you?"

Finn climbed off the bed and reached out to Rachel, but she backed up and avoided his touch. "Rachel, it's not like that! Of course this isn't some sort of game. I'm sorry that I said that. I shouldn't have."

"You shouldn't have said anything at all," Rachel snapped. She thrust a finger towards the door. She was so upset that her entire body was shaking, and she wanted Finn out of there before she burst into tears. "Get out."

"Rachel, please—"

The ringing of Rachel's phone cut across Finn's pleading. Seeing that it was Burt, Rachel quickly answered it and held a hand up to keep Finn from speaking. "Hello?"

Burt didn't waste any time beating around the bush. "_Rachel, there's been an accident. It's Puck._"

No, this was too much. Her heart was breaking because of Finn and now her best friend had been in an accident. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"_There were some complications during surgery, and they don't know if—_"

Rachel didn't hear the rest, because the phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor. Finn scooped the phone from the floor and then pulled Rachel into his arms. She went without a fight, as she was too focused on trying to wrap her mind around what was happening.

"Uncle Burt?" Finn asked. He listened intently as Burt explained the situation. He swiped his fingers under Rachel's eyes, trying to wipe her tears away. When he hung up the phone, he took her hand and began to pull her towards the door. "Come on, Rach," he said. "Let me take you to the hospital."

Rachel dug her heels in and tugged her hands from Finn. "I can't go," she said.

"Rachel—"

"I can't go. And you need to leave."

Without giving Finn a chance to respond, Rachel left her bedroom and ran from the house.

* * *

Puck had flat-lined while they had been doing some emergency surgery. The doctor had told Anne that Puck was going to be fine, but now they just had to wait for him to wake up. Santana had already taken residence up by Puck's bed.

What shocked everyone was that Chris had witnessed the accident and had given the doctors permission to perform the surgery on Puck. What was even more surprising was that Burt was just under the legal limit while he had been driving. It had all been an accident, but it had angered Anne enough to kick Burt out of the hospital.

Rachel had been spending as much time as she possibly could at the café. Finn had tried to bring her to the hospital, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. And since that night, she hadn't been able to talk to Finn. In a matter of minutes, everything that Rachel had known had fallen apart, and she didn't have a single idea of what to do about it.

The door to the café dinged and Rachel looked up to see Quinn entering. The blonde looked as bad as Rachel was feeling, and she dropped the cloth she had been using to wipe down the counter. Quinn took a seat and watched Rachel for several long moments.

"You should go see him," the blonde cheerleader finally said.

"Have you seen him?" Rachel countered.

"No." Quinn sighed. "I can't. Not while Santana is there."

Rachel slowly shook her head. "I can't see him either. Not after… not after the huge fight we had."  
Quinn shrugged her shoulders. "Friends get into fights all the time. Wasn't it you that said that best friends can get through anything? It was just one little spat. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Besides, I think Anne really needs you right now."

Rachel picked at the hem of her shirt. "You don't understand, Quinn. I said terrible, awful things to him. I told Noah to never speak to me again. And now there's a chance that he might not…" She trailed off, biting down on her bottom lip hard to stop the tears. Puck was in the hospital and she was fighting with Finn. She couldn't talk to the two people that she needed most, and it was tearing her up inside.

Quinn could tell. "Look, I'll go visit Puck when you do," she said. "You need to do it eventually. Why don't you bring Finn? I know that he and Puck don't even like each other, but I'm sure he would go with you."

"I'm not talking to Finn," Rachel whispered. "He… he told me that he began to talk to me in the first place because he wanted to mess with Puck."

Quinn sighed and shook her head. Finn was so close to messing up the best thing that had even happened to him, and all because he had to open his big mouth. Quinn knew that Finn was probably in love with Rachel, because she had never seen him act like this with anyone before. Somehow, Finn needed to fix what had happened.

"You know that Finn cares about you," Quinn began. "And—"

"I don't want to talk about it," Rachel interrupted. She picked up the cloth again and went to clean the tables out on the floor even though they were spotless to begin with. Rachel didn't know when this would feel better. At this rate, she wasn't sure it ever would.

* * *

**I swear, we'll get through all of season one soon. I forgot that so much happened!**


End file.
